Match: UEFA Europa League
Fixture: Wolfsberger AC vs PAOK Thessaloniki (to be played at a neutral venue)
Local kick-off time: 19:00 on August 14th
Handicap Prediction:
Wolfsberger AC +0.25 (Asian Handicap)
Home Win + Draw (European Odds)
Predicted Scores: 0-0, 1-0, 1-1
Predicted Total Goals: 0, 1, 2
Comprehensive Analysis:
Wolfsberger AC finished 3rd in the Austrian Bundesliga last season and won their first Austrian Cup title. They have retained the core of last season’s squad this term, though left-back Jasic joined Abu Dhabi Ain, left-back Ullmann and defensive midfielder Sandro departed as free agents. New signings include left winger Avijadjor (who scored 4 goals and provided 8 assists for Hartberg), [Note: The original text has a typo here, likely referring to a player] and right-back Worms (with 4 goals and 4 assists in the Austrian second tier). In the first leg, they drew 0-0 away to PAOK Thessaloniki, with Baro and Zukić missing at least 3 clear scoring chances. They rotated 4 players in their last league match and secured a 2-0 away win over Austria Vienna, claiming their first victory of the season. Forward Koidzek will be sidelined with injury for this game.
PAOK Thessaloniki finished 3rd in the Greek Super League last season, 17 points behind champions Olympiacos. This season, they loaned former Celtic forward Giakoumakis from Cruz Azul, signed defensive midfielder Met from Benfica permanently, and loaned winger Luka from Feyenoord, among other moves. First-choice goalkeeper Kotarski transferred to Copenhagen, forward Sudali joined Al Khaleej, and midfielder Bakayoko left as a free agent. In the first leg, new right-back Kenny and midfielder Met both started, but the team failed to create any threatening chances throughout the game. Key winger Despodov remains absent for this match, while starting winger Tyson, who featured in the last game, is injured and will be replaced by new signing winger Ivanušec. Giakoumakis, who joined last week, was not included in the squad.
Summary:
The first leg ended in a 0-0 draw. From the match content, it was evident that despite dominating possession, PAOK looked visibly struggling, while Wolfsberger, even when not enjoying the advantage away from home, posed significant threats through counterattacks. In terms of handicaps, given the first leg saw PAOK offer a high -1.25 handicap, a neutral venue for today’s game should logically warrant a handicap of at least -0.75. However, PAOK are currently only given a -0.25 handicap, indicating that bookmakers have obvious concerns about whether the stronger Greek side can secure a comfortable win. Therefore, it is a better choice to back Wolfsberger AC to remain unbeaten in this match.
