Matchday 7 of the 2024/25 Europa League group stage between PAOK (Greece) and Slavia Prague (Czech Republic) will take place on January 23 at the Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki. PAOK vs. Slavia Prague: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Predicted lineups for PAOK vs. Slavia Prague
PAOK (4-5-1): Dominik Kotarski – Abdul Rahman Baba, Giannis Michailidis, Tomasz Kedziora, Honni – Magomed Ozdoev, Mady Camara, Taison, Giannis Konstantelias, Andrija Zivkovic – Brandon Thomas.
Slavia Prague (3-4-3): Antonin Kinsky – Jan Boril, Igoh Ogbu, Tomas Holes – El-Hadji Malik Diouf, Christos Zafeiris, Oscar Dorley, David Doudera – Lukas Provod, Tomas Chory, Ivan Schranz.
The starting lineup for each team in their previous match in this tournament is listed.
PAOK
The Thessaloniki club secured their second consecutive clean-sheet victory in the Europa League, thrashing Ferencvaros 5-0 in the last round. This win marked PAOK's most significant victory in the second most prestigious European competition since 2015. Before this successful stretch, the team had been winless in the Europa League for four matches (1 draw, 3 losses). The six points gained in the last two matches significantly improved their standings, moving them into the playoff zone from 33rd to 22nd place in the Europa League table. Winning the last two group stage matches will keep their chances alive for a top-eight finish and direct qualification to the round of 16.
- At least one opponent failed to score in 7 of PAOK's last 9 Europa League matches.
- At home, the club has not lost in 7 of their last 8 matches in this tournament (4 wins, 3 draws).
- A goal was scored in both halves in 7 of the team's last 9 home Europa League matches.
Slavia Prague
The Prague side, on the other hand, has struggled recently in the second most prestigious European competition, losing their last four matches. In the last two tournament games, Slavia was defeated at home with identical 1-2 scores by Fenerbahce and Anderlecht. The club has failed to keep a clean sheet for five consecutive Europa League matches. As a result of this losing streak, the team has dropped out of the playoff zone, falling from 9th to 29th place in the Europa League standings. Slavia is no longer in contention for direct entry to the Europa League round of 16, and a loss in the upcoming match could end their chances of reaching the playoffs.
- The team's winless streak in the Europa League stands at 5 matches (1 draw, 4 losses).
- Slavia has not scored more than 1 goal in their last 5 matches in the second most prestigious European competition.
- The club's uncompromising away run in the Europa League includes 8 matches (3 wins, 5 losses).
PAOK vs. Slavia Prague: Match Prediction
The hosts will undoubtedly be boosted by their recent Europa League results, having won the last two matches with a combined score of 7-0. Additionally, they will benefit from the support of their home crowd. Greek clubs traditionally perform much better at home, and PAOK is no exception. Moreover, an additional argument in favor of the Thessaloniki team is that the Prague side has lost their competitive edge, as their domestic league is on a break, with the Czech league pausing from mid-December and resuming matches only in February.
Even before this, Slavia was struggling in the current Europa League campaign, having won only one of six matches. In comparison, PAOK scored 10 goals, while Slavia managed only 5. Furthermore, the Prague club rarely wins on the road, failing to secure victory in 8 of their last 11 matches (2 draws, 6 losses).
Therefore, I believe the hosts should earn points in the upcoming match. My prediction: PAOK to win or draw