PAOK and Malmo will face off in Greece on Tuesday night in the second leg of their Champions League third-round qualifier.
The first leg in Sweden finished 2-2 which means this is a winner-take-all scenario to see which team will qualify for the Champions League playoff round and which team will be knocked down into the Europa League playoff round.
Ahead of kick-off at the Stadio Toumbas, here is our PAOK vs Malmo prediction.
How the bookies view it: PAOK are expected to progress
After securing a point away at Malmo last week, PAOK come into this one as the favourites to win the match and therefore the tie, too. A PAOK victory has been priced at 8/11 by Betfred while a win for Malmo has been priced at 100/30. The draw, which would see the match go to extra time to determine a winner, has been priced at 13/5.
Recent head-to-head: The second-ever meeting
The first leg of this tie marked the first time that PAOK and Malmo had met on a football pitch. As that match finished in a draw, neither of these clubs have ever tasted victory over the other which adds a little bit more spice to the second leg.
Both of these clubs have performed well in Europe over the years, with Malmo enjoying greater success in the 1970s and 1980s and PAOK performing better in recent seasons. In 1979, Malmo reached the final of the European Cup where they lost to Nottingham Forest.
Players to watch: Experience could be key
While both of these teams possess bright, young talent, the match is more likely to be decided by the experienced players on the pitch.
Malmo's most likely match winner on Tuesday night is going to be Isaac Thelin. The 32-year-old is already considered a Malmo legend having enjoyed three separate spells at the club and he is arguably playing better than ever this season. Thelin has scored 16 goals so far this season, but one on Tuesday could prove to be the most important one yet.
For the hosts, a 36-year-old Brazilian could be their key to victory. Like many other Brazilians, Taison spent the majority of his career with Shakhtar Donetsk but is seemingly set to play out the final days of his career in Greece. He scored in the first half last week and was a threat throughout.
Predicted line-ups
PAOK haven't played since the first leg and with no new injury concerns, they are expected to go in unchanged on Tuesday night. Malmo had a domestic fixture at the weekend and took the opportunity to rest several key players ahead of this crunch match.
PAOK: Kotarski – Sastre, Kedziora, Kouilierakis, Baba – Schwab, Ozdoev, – Zivkovic, Konstantelias, Taison – Thomas
Malmo: Dahlin – Larsen, Jansson, Zattstrom, Busanello – Pena, Nanasi, Johnsen – Bolin, Thelin, Botheim
Anything else catch the eye?
A total of 14 goals have been scored across Malmo's three Champions League qualifying matches this season while ten have been scored across PAOK's three. Over 2.5 goals to be scored on Tuesday night is priced at 4/5 with Betfred.
This UEFA Champions League match between PAOK and Malmo will be played on Aug 13, 2024 and kick off at 18:30. Check below for our tipsters best PAOK vs Malmo prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
