The Matchday 1 clash of the 2025/26 Europa League group stage between PAOK (Greece) and Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) will take place on September 24 at the Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki. PAOK vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
PAOK
The team has already navigated two stages in this Europa League. Both matches against Wolfsberg ended 0-0 after 90 minutes, and a single goal in extra time saw Razvan Lucescu's side through to face Rijeka. PAOK proved superior to the Croatians (0-1, 5-0), advancing to the main stage of the Europa League for the second consecutive season. In last year's tournament, the Greeks finished 22nd and were knocked out in the first playoff round. Notably, the victory over Rijeka in the return leg ended a six-match winless streak in regular time in the Europa League (2 draws, 4 losses).
- In 5 of their last 7 Europa League matches, the Greeks failed to score against their opponents.
- On home soil in this tournament, the team has not lost in 5 of their last 6 matches (3 wins, 2 draws).
- In 4 of their last 5 home games in the Europa League, PAOK did not concede a single goal.
Predicted lineup for PAOK (4-5-1)
Jiri Pavlenka – Abdul Rahman Baba, Tomasz Kedziora, Joan Sastre, Dejan Lovren – Andrija Zivkovic, Magomed Ozdoev, Dimitris Pelkas, Soualiho Meite, Taison – Georgios Giakoumakis.
Midfielder Dimitris Pelkas is injured.
Maccabi Tel Aviv
The Israelis have also cleared two stages. Zarko Lazetic's side defeated Hamrun in both legs (2-1, 3-1) and faced a tougher challenge against Dynamo Kyiv – 3-1, 0-1. Last season, Maccabi had an underwhelming main round in the Europa League, accumulating only 6 points and finishing 29th. The club's best achievement in this tournament is reaching the round of 32. Notably, the team has shown uncompromising results in the Europa League: in their last 19 matches, they have 10 wins and 9 losses.
- Both teams scored in 6 of Maccabi's last 8 Europa League matches.
- The team has conceded in 13 consecutive games in this tournament.
- In 6 of their last 8 away games in the Europa League, the club has scored at least one goal.
Predicted lineup for Maccabi Tel Aviv (4-5-1)
Roy Mishpati – Mohamed Ali Camara, Roy Revivo, Raz Shlomo, Tyrese Asante – Ido Shahar, Dor Peretz, Issouf Sissoko, Kerwin Andrade, Omer Atzili – Ion Nicolaescu.
Forward Ion Nicolaescu is injured.
Referee
Sven Jablonski (Germany)
Matches – 9 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 34;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.8;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 16;
Penalties – 11%.
PAOK vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv: Match Prediction
Greek teams traditionally perform well at home, and Razvan Lucescu's side is no exception. At home, the club has not lost in 10 of their last 12 Europa League matches (6 wins, 4 draws). It's important to note that PAOK conceded more than one goal in only three of these matches, and kept a clean sheet in six. In the current qualification, the Greeks have conceded just one goal.
Maccabi showed weak results on the road in last season's tournament, losing 3 out of 4 matches. They managed to defeat only Besiktas, who did not qualify for the playoffs. Zarko Lazetic's side also had tough away games in the 2025/26 Europa League qualifiers. They lost to Kyiv and only defeated Hamrun thanks to a stoppage-time goal. Although the club regularly scores on foreign fields, they do not show high scoring: in 7 of their last 11 Europa League matches, Maccabi was limited to a maximum of one goal.
Considering these facts, my prediction: PAOK will not lose and Total under 3.5 goals
