Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Europa League match.
Despite an injury crisis, PAOK are considered favourites for the first leg of this knockout tie. The Greek side will be without Russian forward Fedor Chalov, who remains sidelined after picking up an injury in late January.
PAOK
PAOK have struggled for consistency since the turn of the year. Defeats to Real Sociedad (0:2) and AEK Athens (1:2) were setbacks, though they did enjoy a 5:0 thrashing of OFI. However, they remain eight points behind leaders Olympiacos in the Greek Super League. PAOK prioritise defensive solidity, leading to low-scoring matches—five of their last six games have seen ‘Both Teams to Score – No’ land. With Fedor Chalov absent, Mbwana Samatta is expected to lead the attack, though he was not even registered for the Europa League group stage.
FCSB
The Romanian side missed out on a top-eight finish in the group stage after a home defeat to Manchester United (2:0). Back in October, they defeated PAOK (1:0) in Salonica, despite generating just 0.59 xG. Goals have also been rare in their matches—‘Both Teams to Score – Yes’ has landed just once in their last five fixtures.
PAOK vs FCSB Prediction
With both teams adopting cautious approaches and missing key attacking pieces, another low-scoring match is highly likely. Expect a cagey affair with few clear-cut chances.
