Match Overview and Stakes

The crucial second leg of the 2025/26 Europa League qualification playoff is set to unfold on August 28 at Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki, featuring Greek side PAOK against Croatian club Rijeka. Rijeka holds a narrow 1-0 advantage from the initial encounter. This preview delves into the match’s prediction, betting odds, and relevant statistics for the PAOK vs Rijeka clash.

PAOK Team Analysis

PAOK’s Current Form and Qualification Path

PAOK enters this match at a disadvantage, having suffered a 0-1 defeat away to Rijeka in the first leg. This result extends their winless streak in the Europa League to six matches (two draws, four losses). Furthermore, the Greek club has failed to score in their last four Europa League fixtures. To advance to the group stage of the Europa League, PAOK must secure a victory by at least a two-goal margin within regular time. It is worth noting that PAOK reached the knockout stages of this tournament last season.

• PAOK has remained undefeated in regular time in 9 of their last 11 home Europa League matches (5 wins, 4 draws).
• The club conceded no more than one goal in 90 minutes in 8 of their last 10 home European cup encounters.
• The Greek side prevented opponents from scoring in the second half in 9 of their last 10 home Europa League fixtures.

PAOK’s Probable Lineup (4-5-1)*

Jiri Pavlenka – Abdul Rahman Baba, Tomas Kedziora, Ioannis Michailidis, Jonjo Kenny – Andrija Zivkovic, Magomed Ozdoev, Ioannis Konstantelias, Soualiho Meite, Luka Ivanusec – Fedor Chalov.

Rijeka Team Analysis

Rijeka’s Momentum and Qualification Scenario

Following their victory in the first leg, Rijeka has now secured back-to-back wins in the Europa League for the first time since 2019. This also marks their first clean sheet in their last five European outings. To progress to the Europa League group stage, Rijeka only needs to avoid defeat in regular time. Should they lose by a single goal difference, the match will proceed to extra time. Notably, Rijeka has not featured in the main draw of the Europa League since the 2020/21 season.

• Rijeka has failed to win in regular time in 6 of their last 8 away Europa League matches (2 draws, 4 losses).
• The club kept a clean sheet in the first half in 8 of their last 10 previous away matches in this European competition.
• The Croatians scored no more than once in regular time in 6 of their last 8 recent away Europa League games.

Rijeka’s Probable Lineup (4-5-1)*

Martin Zlomislic – Justas Lasickas, Ante Majstorovic, Stjepan Radeljic, Mladen Devetak – Merveil Ndoki, Tiago Dantas, Dejan Petrovic, Toni Fruk, Niko Jankovic – Luka Menalo.

Match Official

Referee Profile: Jose Maria Sanchez

Jose Maria Sanchez (Spain)

Matches officiated – 13 (International fixtures, 2024/25–2025/26);

Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 44;

Average yellow cards per match – 3.4;

Red cards shown – 2;

Average fouls per match – 20;

Penalties awarded – 15%.

PAOK vs Rijeka Match Prediction

Analysis of Goal-Scoring Potential

I anticipate a more open and higher-scoring affair in the return leg compared to the first encounter. At home, PAOK adopts an aggressive attacking approach and rarely fails to find the net. In their last 12 home Europa League matches, the team only failed to score on three occasions, and in half of those games, the Greeks scored at least twice. However, it’s also worth noting that in 10 of their last 15 home European ties, the club has conceded goals.

Rijeka’s Away Performance and Defensive Concerns

While Rijeka may not consistently achieve positive results away from home, they nevertheless strive to be proactive in attack. In their last 13 away Europa League fixtures, the team only failed to score three times, managing to net at least twice in six of those matches. Conversely, the Croatian side tends to make too many defensive errors when playing away, keeping only three clean sheets during this same period.

Expert Betting Pick

Considering these attacking tendencies and defensive vulnerabilities, I expect multiple goals in this match. Therefore, my prediction is: “Total Over 2” with odds of 1.71

Author: Dmitry Shchurko

* For each team, the starting lineup from their previous match in this tournament is indicated.