In the first leg of the second Champions League qualifying round, PAOK are set to host Borac Banja Luka at Stadio Toumbas on Wednesday.
In Greece's top flight, the home side finished first in their championship playoff group with 80 points, while the visitors won Bosnia and Herzegovina's Premier League with 78 points from 33 games.
Match preview
© Reuters
The hosts did not participate in the first Champions League qualifying round, and Wednesday's game will be their first competitive match in all competitions since May 19.
PAOK last competed in the Champions League qualifying rounds in the September 2020, when they lost at the fourth and final stage against Krasnodar 4-2 on aggregate.
PAOK qualified to this stage of the competition after claiming their first title since the 2018-19 season.
Their 2.22 points per game record in 2023-24 was less than the 2.67 they achieved in the 2018-19 campaign, but this will be of little concern to manager Razvan Lucescu considering they won the title.
Lucescu has been in charge since August 2017 and has won two league titles in his time at the club, as well as two Greek Cups.
His side scored 87 goals and conceded 37 times in the 2023-24 top flight, and this made them the division's best offensive and defensive side.
![PAOK s Taison celebrates after scoring the first goal for his team during a Greek Superleague playoffs game between PAOK FC and Olympiacos FC. PAOK won the game 2-0 May 12, 2024 [on July 22, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/30/taison.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "PAOK s Taison celebrates after scoring the first goal for his team during a Greek Superleague playoffs game between PAOK FC and Olympiacos FC. PAOK won the game 2-0 May 12, 2024 [on July 22, 2024]")
© Imago
Opponents Borac Banja Luka defeated Egnatia Rrogozhine in the first Champions League qualifying round on penalties having won the first leg 1-0 on July 10, before losing the second 2-1 on July 17.
They will have been disappointed that they were taken to penalties considering that in the first leg Egnatia Rrogozhine were reduced to 10 men in the 58th minute, and later reduced to nine in the 90th, but they only came away from the match with a one-goal lead.
The visitors' title win in 2023-24 was their first since the 2020-21 season, when they earned 67 points from 33 matches, and was only their third ever top-flight championship win.
Last term, the Red-Blues scored 68 goals and conceded 26 times, and these were the league's second-best offensive and best defensive records respectively.
Manager Mladen Zizovic has been in charge since June 2024 after former boss Vinko Marinovic left by mutual consent.
His side have never reached the group stage of the Champions League and were eliminated from the competition in the 2021-22 season by CFR Cluj in the first qualifying round.
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Team News
![Banja Luka(Bosnia) national cup final men s football David Vukovic FK Borac Banja Luka, 23/05/2024 [on July 20, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/30/david-vukovic.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Banja Luka(Bosnia) national cup final men s football David Vukovic FK Borac Banja Luka, 23/05/2024 [on July 20, 2024]")
© Imago
The hosts have made several signings over the summer, including goalkeeper Antonis Tsiftsis, as well as centre-backs Tomasz Kedziora and Konstantinos Thymianis.
PAOK could also hand competitive debuts to midfield signing Mady Camara and left-back Filipe Soares.
As for the visitors, they come into the clash without goalkeeper Nikola Cetkovic, who has been out of action since August due to a cruciate ligament injury.
Srdan Grahovac captained Borac Banja Luka last time out against Egnatia Rrogozhine and can be expected to start, while his midfield partner Stojan Vranjes started both games in the first qualifying round and is likely to retain his place in the XI.
PAOK possible starting lineup:
Tsiftsis; Vieirinha, Kedziora, Michailidis, Soares; Ozdoev, Camara; Smyrlis, Quagliata, Konstantelias; Samatta
Borac Banja Luka possible starting lineup:
Siskovski; Kvrzic, Meijers, Carolina, Herrera; Grahovac, Vranjes; Hrelja, Savic, Vukovic; Lukic
We say: PAOK 3-1 Borac Banja Luka
Given that Borac Banja Luka struggled to take advantage of a weakened Egnatia Rrogozhine, they could find it difficult once again on Wednesday.
Additionally, PAOK boss Razvan Lucescu will be confident of victory given his side recently won their second title in 2023-24.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
