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Benfica vs PAOK Prediction & Betting tips
In the final qualifying round of the Champions League, Portuguese Benfica and Greek PAOK Thessaloniki face each other. Based on the quality of the selection and the number of entries, you can count Benfica as a big favorite until joining the champions ball.
Benfica:
Benfica was dethroned as champion of Portugal last year after four titles in a row. As Aguias (The Eagles) participated for a long time in the title and even took the lead two months before the end of the competition, but a defeat in the direct game with FC Porto in April sealed the fate of the team of Rui Vitoria. In the end, Benfica finished in second place on seven points of her rival.
This second place means that Benfica has to survive two qualifying rounds to survive the Champions Leagues. Just like Ajax, the team has to play the so-called league round, which means that it will not be against the champions of countries low on the UEFA coefficient list, but against the numbers two and three of higher-ranked football countries.
The first hurdle was taken by switching off the Fenerbahce from Phillip Cocu. In Lisbon, 1-0 was won by a hit by Cervi. Benfica then held on in Istanbul and after Gedson Fernandes took his team ahead, the game was actually decided. Fenerbahce came no further than the equalizer of Alper Potuk.
The fans will, if PAOK is defeated over two matches, hope for a more successful CL campaign than last season. Then Benfica finished with six defeats in just as many matches in last place in a group with CSKA Moscow, FC Basel and Manchester United.
PAOK:
Although PAOK Saloniki is a well-known name on the European fields, the Greeks never managed to qualify for the main tournament of the biggest European club tournament. In total, the qualifying tournament was four times the end of PAOK. A salient detail is that Ajax was responsible for the elimination of PAOK two times for the last time in the 2016/2017 season, when Ajax was subsequently eliminated by FK Rostov in the next round.
This season, PAOK and Ajax will be present in the final qualifying round. The team of the Romanian coach Razvan Lucescu, however, has had a much stronger opposition from the team from Amsterdam. PAOK was able to deal with FC Basel and Spartak Moscow in succession.
Especially disabling the wealthy Russians the previous round gave a sensation. In the home game in his own home, PAOK already trailed 0-2 within 17 minutes by hits from Popov and Promes. The Greeks however battled back in the first half and won 3-2 by hits from Pelkas, Limnios and Prijovic. The return in Moscow was then a lot less goal-oriented. PAOK held quite easily, partly due to a quick red card from Luiz Adriano. There was no score, which PAOK is one double encounter away from the champions ball.
Benfica vs PAOK head to head matches
27.02.14 EL Benfica PAOK 3 : 0
20.02.14 EL PAOK Benfica 0 : 1
03.11.99 EL Benfica PAOK 1 : 2
20.10.99 EL PAOK Benfica 1 : 2