Verdict: PAOK to score in both halves

Best Odds: 4/6

Bookmaker: Olympusbet

Looking to pick up a first-leg advantage on Thursday evening, PAOK will welcome Shamrock Rovers to the Toumba Stadium.

Manchester United

Starting with the hosts, making real history last season as they got their hands on a fourth Super League crown, PAOK will simply be looking to carry on from where they left off back in May. Although the Greek giants might have watched their Champions League qualifying adventure come to an abrupt end last week as they fell to an action-packed 6-5 aggregate defeat at the hands of Malmo, Razvan Lucescu’s men claimed an immediate response over the weekend. Getting the 2024/25 campaign underway with a 3-2 victory against Panserraikos, the former Al Hilal boss will be confident of claiming a first-leg advantage here. However, enduring what was a real wobble during their pre-season preparations as they lost all of their final four friendly appearances, PAOK are seeking some recent defensive resolve.

Team News

Arriving from Premier League giants Manchester United this summer, 20-year-old Shola Shoretire should make his PAOK debut on Thursday evening. However, despite completing a £2.5million move from CSKA last month, Fedor Chalov could be forced to settle for a spot on the bench here.

Handed a full rest against Panserraikos over the weekend, former Mallorca striker Brandon Thomas will be handed a full recall here and will spearhead PAOK’s charge in the final third. Likewise, notching back-to-back Champions League qualifying strikes against Malmo earlier in the month, Taison will partner Thomas in attack.

Shamrock Rovers

As for the visitors, while Shamrock might have secured a fourth consecutive Premier Division title last season, the Rovers have drastically struggled to find any kind of stability this time around. Despite eventually edging past Slovenian outfit Celje last week thanks to a thrilling 3-2 aggregate win, Stephen Bradley’s men face a monumental challenge on Thursday evening. Mustering just a pair of victories from any of their previous seven appearances across all competitions, the defending Irish champions have also failed to record back-to-back victories since the middle of April. Pencilled in as a landslide underdog when they travel over to Greece in midweek, Shamrock have also shown their own respective issues at the back. Including a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Sparta Prague last month, Bradley’s men have failed to record a single clean sheet over the past six weeks.

Team News

Both still dealing with respective injury issues, Shamrock will be unable to call upon the attacking duo of Johnny Kenny and Rory Gaffney on Thursday evening. However, heading into their trip over to Greece in midweek, Bradley’s camp have no fresh injury concerns or suspensions to worry about.

While veteran striker Aaron Greene might have notched just a pair of goals since the middle of May, the 34-year-old should keep his spot leading Shamrock’s attack. Arriving from Cork City this season, Joshua Honohan should once again be deployed in a right wing-back role here.

Key Factors to Consider

• Continuing on from last season, PAOK have won all of their previous five domestic appearances.
• However, the reigning Greek champions have recorded just a single clean sheet from any of their first five competitive appearances this season.
• Shamrock have failed to record back-to-back victories across any competition since the middle of April.
• The Rovers have also recorded just a sole clean sheet from any of their previous eight matchups across all formats.
• PAOK’s opening five competitive appearances this season have produced 22 goals at both ends of the pitch.

Conclusion

Getting the new campaign underway last week with an action-packed 3-2 victory against Panserraikos, PAOK will be looking to make a real first-leg statement here. Pencilled in as a landslide contender on Thursday evening, the Greek giants will be confident of cashing in on a Shamrock squad that have continued to show some glaring issues this year. With the Rovers drastically struggling to find any kind of defensive stability, PAOK have been handed a golden opportunity at the Toumba Stadium.

Verdict: PAOK to score in both halves

Best Odds: 4/6

Bookmaker: Olympusbet