The Europa Conference League second leg clash between PAOK Salonica and Club Brugge promises intrigue, with Club Brugge holding a slim lead from the first leg encounter.
Match Preview
In anticipation of the clash in Thessaloniki, the Belgian team holds a slight advantage after Hugo Vetlesen scored the only goal of the match in the first half.
Apart from that goal, it was a rather uneventful game. Brugge had only four shots on target out of 12 attempts, and PAOK managed just one shot on target out of six attempts, making it a game with very little action.
Brugge aims to continue their Europa Conference League journey, trailing Anderlecht by five points in the Championship Round of the Belgian Pro League after 33 games.
Despite finishing fourth in the regular season, Brugge ended up 19 points behind Union Saint-Gilloise.
In their recent match against Antwerp, Brugge secured a 3-0 victory with goals from Michal Skoras, Philip Zinckernagel, and Raphael Onyedika.
This marked their third consecutive win, following victories against PAOK and Anderlecht, where Brandon Mechele and Raphael Onyedika both scored.
Although Brugge suffered a loss in the Europa Conference League, falling 2-1 to Molde in the away leg of the round of 16, they bounced back with a 3-0 win at home.
Additionally, Brugge achieved a remarkable 5-0 victory against Besiktas in Turkey, as well as wins against Bodo/Glimt and Lugano, along with a draw against Besiktas in the group stages.
Meanwhile, PAOK currently sits third in the Championship Round of the Super League Greece, trailing AEK Athens by two points.
Their recent league match ended in a 2-2 draw against Athens, and with no weekend fixture, PAOK had a week-long break.
PAOK also boasts a strong record in the Europa Conference League, defeating Dinamo Zagreb 5-1 in the round of 16 after losing the first leg 2-0.
Prediction & Analysis:
Considering Club Brugge’s recent form and their advantage from the first leg, they are poised to secure a favorable result in Thessaloniki.
However, PAOK’s determination and home advantage cannot be underestimated.
Expect a closely contested match with attacking flair from both sides.
Ultimately, we predict a narrow victory for Club Brugge, with over 2.5 goals likely to be scored, cementing their progression in the Europa Conference League.
- PAOK 1-2 Club Brugge
