Champions League, Greek champions PAOK want to redeem a disappointing preseason: news and predictions.
One of the three matches closing the first leg of the second preliminary round features Razvan Lucescu’s PAOK, the defending Greek champions. The Bianconeri’s has been a preseason to truly forget: yes, it’s only summer soccer and results count the right amount, but the four defeats in a row to Hibernian, Genk, Union Saint-Gilloise and Vitesse have rung more than a few alarm bells.
The first real test, waiting for the Greek Super League to start again, will be the Bosnians of Borac Banja Luka, who have already made their debut in the Champions League preliminaries, starting in the first round. How much suffering, for the Balkans, to eliminate the Albanians of Egnatia, bent only after penalty kicks (first leg 1-0 for Borac and in the return 2-1 defeat).
PAOK, in any case, is a team of superior caliber – important reinforcements such as Kedziora, Camara and Thymianis arrived in this market – and should mortgage qualification as early as Toumba Stadium. A round victory is also the goal of Ludogorets, which precisely thanks to the 3-1 win in the first leg of the first round with Dinamo Batumi managed to avoid elimination (in the return leg the Georgians prevailed 1-0). After debuting with a narrow success in the league, the Bulgarians will in all likelihood impose themselves on another Dinamo, that of Minsk, which a week ago overcame the Pyunik Yerevan obstacle without conceding a single goal between the first leg and the return. It will be difficult to get out of Razgrad unscathed, but we do not expect a crushing victory by Dermendzhiev’s green-and-whites.
Slovan Bratislava, finally, will have to watch out for Celje, who have made a good impression in their two challenges with Estonians Flora Tallinn, first swept 5-0 in Estonia and then beaten 2-1 in Slovenia. Two wins out of two also for Slovan but the defense appeared too permeable, having cashed in three goals in total from Struga’s North Africans.
Champions League, possible winners
Ludogorets (in Ludogorets-Dinamo Minsk, 8 p.m.)
Celje or draw (in Celje-Slovan Bratislava, 8:15 pm)
The match of at least three goals in total
PAOK-Borac Banja Luka, 7:30 p.m.
Champions League, the game by at least one goal per team
Celje-Slovan Bratislava, 8:15 pm
The match by less than three goals total
Ludogorets-Dinamo Minsk, 8 p.m.
Share comparison
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