Preview: Panathinaikos vs Paksi SE - prediction, team news, lineups

Panathinaikos will be looking to book their place in the next round of Conference League qualifying when they welcome Paksi SE to the Apostolos Nikolaidis on Thursday.

The hosts head into the second leg with a major advantage, having won the first leg of the second round qualifying tie 2-1.

Match preview

Panathinaikos have been regulars in Europe, featuring seven times in the Champions League between 2000-01 and 2010-11, but they have had to settle for spots in the Europa League and Conference League in recent years.

Last season, Panathinaikos reached the last 16 in the Europa League, having dropped out of Champions League qualifying in the second round.

However, a fourth-placed finish in the Greek Super League means they have had to settle for a spot in Conference League qualifying this season.

Panathinaikos are entering a new era under head coach Jacob Neestrup, who replaced Rafael Benitez at the helm over the summer, and will be keen to build on last week's win in the first leg.

Gabor Vas scored an own goal in the first half, before Santino Andino made it 2-0 and Daniel Bode got one back for Paksi.

© Imago / Yigit Orme

Paksi, meanwhile, are hoping to secure European football for the first time this season having regularly fallen short in Europa League and Conference League qualifying in recent years.

This will be their sixth European qualifying campaign and the Hungarian side came closest to qualifying last season, when they reached the final round of Conference League qualifiers and lost to Polissya Zhytomyr.

Gyorgy Bognar's side will be keen to bounce back from their defeat in the first leg and head into the second leg off the back of an impressive 4-2 win over Ferencvaros in the Nemzeti Bajnoksag on Sunday.

Milan Peto and Jozsef Szalai both bagged braces as Paksi twice came from behind against Ferencvaros, who are the most successful Hungarian club and finished second in the league last season. 

Panathinaikos Conference League form:

W

Paksi SE Conference League form:

L

Paksi SE form (all competitions):

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Team News

© Imago

Panathinaikos are set to be without the likes of Cyriel Dessers and Erik Palmer Brown through injury.

The Greek side have made a number of new signings this summer and the likes of Anass Zaroury, Etienne Camara, Triantafyllos Tsapras, Inaki Pena and Stefan de Vrij are all expected to start.

Paksi are set to make at least two changes after Szalai and Zsolt Haraszti picked up injuries in the win over Ferencvaros.

As a result, Bode and Janos Hahn are set to come into the starting lineup.

Panathinaikos possible starting lineup:

Pena; Tsapras, Touba, De Vrij, Kyriakopoulos; Gnezda, Camara; Zaroury, Jagusic, Andino; Tetteh

Paksi SE possible starting lineup:

Kovacsik; Gyorfi, Vas, Szkeszardi, Vecsei, Zeke; Peto, Papp; Horvath, Hahn; Bode

We say: Panathinaikos 2-1 Paksi SE

Panathinaikos have a stronger European pedigree and have strengthened their squad significantly in the transfer market.

As a result, we are backing them to win and progress to the third round of qualifying.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.