Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Europa League match.
Heading into the final round of the group stage, these two teams are level on points, with only a small goal difference separating them. Neither side has officially secured a play-off place, though even a defeat would likely see one of them progress, as long as they avoid a heavy loss.
Real Sociedad
There was little Real Sociedad could do about their most recent defeat—a 3:1 away loss to Lazio, the current Europa League leaders. Within 35 minutes, they were already 0:3 down, and a late consolation goal did little to change the outcome. However, the bigger concern for the Basque side are that this was their third defeat in 10 days. While a packed schedule has played a role, back-to-back La Liga losses to struggling Valencia (0:1) and Getafe (0:3) will undoubtedly worry both the coaching staff and the club's supporters.
PAOK
The Greek side have also struggled since the start of 2025, failing to win in four consecutive matches across all competitions. A draw against AEK Athens saw them eliminated from the Greek Cup, while two league defeats and another draw have dropped PAOK from second place to fourth in the Super League standings. On a positive note, they delivered an impressive 2:0 victory over Slavia Prague in their most recent Europa League match.
Real Sociedad vs PAOK Prediction
Given that Real Sociedad have failed to score in two of their last three matches, and PAOK have kept three consecutive clean sheets, the visitors have a strong chance of avoiding defeat. To stay on the safe side, we’re backing PAOK with a handicap of +1.
