PAOK aim to move into the Europa League qualification playoff spots when they host Ferencvaros in Thursday's matchday six encounter at Toumba Stadium.
The 27th-placed Greek giants are three places and a sole point outside the playoff spots, but they must overcome an opponent on a three-match winning run in Europe's second-tier club competition.
Match preview
© Imago
Although PAOK have had a wretched Europa League campaign, Dikefalos tou Vorra notched their first win against Latvian side RFS on matchday five, leaving Razvan Lucescu's men just outside the playoff places.
That triumph ended an extended six-match run without success in European competition, and the Greek side aim for consecutive wins on the continent for the first time since December 2023.
Aspromavri have four points from an available 15, meaning maximum points cannot take them into the league's top eight, with Rangers (10 points) six points ahead in the table, but they could rise into the knockout phase playoff spots with several teams two points clear (Roma and Besiktas) or a point above them (Porto and Union Saint-Gilloise).
However, the White-Blacks must end a three-match winless sequence against Hungarian opposition, playing out two draws with Debrecen in the 2003-04 UEFA Cup and suffering losses to Fehervar in the 2018-19 Europa League.
They enter Thursday's match full of goalscoring confidence, having netted seven in the Greek Cup thrashing of Egaleo (7-1) on December 4 and four in the league success at Panserraikos (4-1) four days later.
© Imago
It will be interesting to see if Lucescu's team emerge with maximum points against a side that enter matchday six on a run of three consecutive victories, defeating Ligue 1 side Nice (1-0), Dynamo Kyiv (4-0) and Malmo (4-1).
FTC and Fradi's ongoing run is the club's longest sequence of European victories in over 50 years when they claimed six on the trot in the 1967-68 Fairs Cup to advance to the competition's final, ultimately losing to Leeds United.
Scoring four in consecutive games has taken the Hungarian club to 11 goals heading into Thursday's visit to Thessaloniki, two fewer than the competition's leading scorers, Galatasaray (13).
Pascal Jansen's men have nine points, one adrift of the guaranteed qualification places, and beating PAOK could take them into the coveted positions, with the 11th-placed side possibly rising above all the teams above them except the league's top three clubs: Lazio, Athletic Club and Eintracht Frankfurt (all three have 13 points).
That outcome is contingent on snapping a three-match losing run against Greek clubs, including both matches against Olympiacos in last season's UEFA Conference League, failing to score in both games against the eventual champions.
- L
- W
- W
- D
- W
- W
Team News
© Imago
Tiemoue Bakayoko (bruise) and Brandon are missing through injury, while Vieirinha, Jonathan Gomez, Dejan Lovren, Thomas Murg and Mbwana Samatta are ineligible.
Kiril Despodov (one goal, two assists) leads the way for goal contributions for PAOK, and the wide attacker aims to add to that tally on Thursday.
Ferencvaros' Raul Gustavo is still sidelined with a broken collarbone, while Kady Borges will be assessed after going off after 34 minutes in Sunday's league win over ZTE.
Naby Keita, who joined the Budapest club this week on loan from Bundesliga side Werder Bremen, is ineligible.
Although Barnabas Varga has netted five of the Hungarian club's 11 goals (45.5%), the competition's leading goalscorer is suspended after picking up three yellows, significantly lessening the away side's threat.
PAOK possible starting lineup:
Kotarski; Jonny, Kedziora, Michailidis, Baba; Ozdoev, Camara; Despodov, Konstantelias, Taison; Chalov
Ferencvaros possible starting lineup:
Dibusz; Makreckis, Gartenmann, Cisse, Ramirez; Fani, Maiga; Saldanha, Romdhane, Traore; Pesic
We say: PAOK 2-1 Ferencvaros
Despite an awful sequence of results in the first five matchdays, PAOK enter Thursday's match in fine goalscoring form, standing them in good stead against Ferencvaros.
With the Hungarian visitors shorn of Varga's match-winning qualities, the home team should back themselves to outscore their opponents in Thessaloniki.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
