Preview: PAOK vs Celta Vigo - prediction, team news, lineups

A place in the Europa League round of 16 is on the line as PAOK Thessaloniki host Celta Vigo at Toumba Stadium on Thursday night in the first leg of their playoff tie.

Having finished just one point apart in the league phase standings, both sides enter this contest aware that even the smallest mistake could prove costly.

Match preview

With the first leg on home soil, Razvan Lucescu’s side will be keen to take a firm grip on the tie ahead of the return leg.

PAOK enter this fixture on the back of a goalless draw against AEK Athens, a result that extended their steady run of form but also highlighted a slight dip in attacking sharpness.

The Thessaloniki-based club have shown resilience in recent weeks, recording three wins and two draws in their last five matches across all competitions, underlining their ability to grind out results even when not at their fluent best.

Their Europa League campaign, however, has been marked by inconsistency - with a record of three wins, three draws, and two defeats - reflecting a side capable of strong performances, but one that has struggled to maintain a consistent level throughout the league phase.

A 17th-placed finish may not fully reflect PAOK’s quality, particularly given their impressive home performances.

The Toumba Stadium has proven a fortress, with the Greek side collecting eight points from a possible 12 in front of their supporters.

PAOK, in fact, have scored in eight of their last nine home matches, highlighting their attacking reliability, while also keeping clean sheets in four of their last six on home soil - a balance that will give Lucescu confidence heading into this encounter.

That said, their most recent European outing - a 4-2 defeat away to Olympique Lyon - exposed defensive vulnerabilities, which were further compounded by a red card.

With 17 goals scored in eight Europa League matches, PAOK possess a clear attacking threat, but conceding 14 also suggests they can be vulnerable against quality opposition - something Celta will look to exploit.

Celta Vigo, meanwhile, arrive in Greece following a frustrating 2-2 draw against Espanyol at the weekend, a result that summed up their recent struggles to close out matches.

The Galician outfit are winless in their last five matches across all competitions, recording three draws and two defeats, a run that has inevitably dented confidence within the squad.

Celta amassed 13 points from eight matches, winning four, drawing one and losing three in the league phase.

While that return is respectable, their away form raises concerns, with just one win from four matches on the road.

Their most recent European outing - a 1-1 draw away to Red Star Belgrade highlighted their inability to assert control in difficult environments fully.

Claudio Giraldez has implemented a possession-based system focused on quick transitions, but recent performances suggest the players are struggling to execute it with consistency.

Celta have scored 15 goals and conceded 11 in the competition, underlining both their attacking quality and defensive fragility.

Despite their poor run, they remain a dangerous side going forward, having scored in four of their last five away matches.

Celta will draw confidence from their recent head-to-head record, having already defeated the Greek side 3-1 during the league phase of this season’s competition.

That result could give the visitors a psychological edge heading into what is expected to be a tightly contested first leg.

PAOK Europa League form:

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PAOK form (all competitions):

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Celta Vigo Europa League form:

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Celta Vigo form (all competitions):

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Team News

PAOK will be without Georgios Giakoumakis and Giannis Konstantelias, both of whom are suspended for this encounter.

Luka Ivanusec is sidelined with a muscle injury, while Soualiho Meite remains a doubt due to a thigh problem - a potential blow given his importance in midfield.

Kiril Despodov is also ruled out through injury, and Dimitrios Pelkas is unavailable due to a knock.

For Celta Vigo, Carlos Dominguez and Franco Cervi are both doubts due to fitness concerns, while Alvaro Nunez is ruled out with a groin injury.

21-year-old Yoel Lago also remains a doubt heading into the clash due to physical discomfort.

Marcos Alonso, Carl Starfelt and Javi Rodriguez are expected to anchor the defence, while the attacking trio of Williot Swedberg, Borja Iglesias and Iago Aspas could lead the line, with Iglesias aiming to score for a third consecutive match.

PAOK possible starting lineup:

Pavlenka; Kenny, Kedziora, Michailidis, Rahman; Ozdoyev, Meite; Chatsidis, Taison, Zivkovic; Mythou

Celta Vigo possible starting lineup:

Radu; Alonso, Starfelt, Rodriguez; Rueda, Lopez, Roman Gonzalez, Carreira; Swedberg, Iglesias, Aspas