Preview:PAOK vs Young Boys - prediction, team news, lineups

Greek giants PAOK will be looking to continue their epic winning run when they welcome Swiss outfit Young Boys to the Toumba Stadium for a tasty Europa League encounter.

The two teams are separated by just two points in the Europa League table, and both will be looking to enhance their chances of progression when they meet this Thursday night.

Match preview

One of the most entertaining stories in football at the minute concerns the Manchester United supporter who refuses to get a haircut until his team wins five games in a row.

The fan in question would have no problems getting a shave had he supported a team like PAOK, who have just extended their winning run to a staggering six straight games.

The Greek outfit are not only winning games, but they are also scoring goals for fun, rattling the net a total of 20 times across their six victories.

Four of those goals came a fortnight ago as PAOK sensationally defeated Ligue 1 heavyweights Lille OSC 4-3 away at Stade Pierre-Mauroy – a result which marked their first win in the league phase of the Europa League.

Razvan Lucescu’s men boast four points from their opening three games in the competition, and they will be looking for more as they hope to utilise their impressive run of form.

PAOK managed to reach the knockout phase of the Europa League before bowing out against Romania’s FCSB in the playoff round last season.

Emulating that run is certainly on the agenda for PAOK, especially with the team enjoying a tremendous run of results.

Young Boys, on the other hand, are in the midst of a transition period following a high-profile managerial change at the Wankdorf Stadium.

Giorgio Contini was sensationally sacked by the club last Friday, only to be replaced two hours later by the returning Gerardo Seoane – a man who led Young Boys to four trophies between 2018 and 2021.

The former Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach head coach marked his return at Young Boys last weekend with a goalless draw against defending Swiss Super League champions FC Basel.

Next on his agenda is a trip to Greece in the Europa League, as he looks to lead his men to their third victory in the competition this season.

The Swiss outfit have already beaten FCSB and Ludogorets last month, while their only defeat in the league phase of the competition came against another Greek powerhouse, Panathinaikos.

PAOK Europa League form:

PAOK form (all competitions):

Young Boys Europa League form:

Young Boys form (all competitions):

Team News

Former Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren is a major doubt for PAOK ahead of Thursday’s fixture after the 38-year-old missed the last two games through injury.

Midfielder Mady Camara is also a doubt after missing his last three games for the club; his last appearance came in the 4-3 win over Lille a fortnight ago.

Key man Andrija Zivkovic missed last weekend’s 5-0 league win over Panserraikos due to a suspension, but he will be eligible for selection on Thursday – a big boost for the hosts considering the 29-year-old boasts six goal contributions in five games.

Young Boys defender Gregory Wuthrich has struggled with a muscle injury since joining the club in the summer, going on to make just five appearances this season.

The Swiss side have also struggled with their discipline, missing both Tanguy Zoukrou and Saidy Janko last weekend due to suspensions.

The two players picked up their red cards in domestic games, meaning they are available for selection in Thursday’s Europa League clash.

Midfielder Armin Gigovic is in the same boat after receiving a red card against Basel at the weekend – his first sending off in four years.

PAOK possible starting lineup:

Tsiftsis; Baba, Michailidis, Vogliacco, Kenny; Meite, Ozdoev; Zivkovic, Konstantelias, Despodov; Chalov

Young Boys possible starting lineup:

Keller; Hadjam, Benito, Zoukrou, Andrews; Monteiro, Fernandes, Raveloson, Males; Gigovic, Bedia

We say: PAOK 2-1 Young Boys

PAOK will be licking their chops at the prospect of seven straight wins, and they will certainly fancy their chances against Young Boys.

The Swiss side did not experience an immediate bounce under their new manager at the weekend, and ending their winless run away in Greece is certainly a tough task. With that in mind, we are backing the hosts to get the job done.

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