- Team form: PAOK Thessaloniki's recent form across all competitions is 2 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat (last 5 games).
- Opponents' form: FC Dynamo Kiev's recent form across all competitions is 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat (last 5 games).
PAOK can edge the action in the second-leg
Odds and outlook
FC Dynamo Kiev are a good side, and they're coming into this match with some momentum, but it's hard to go against FC PAOK after their victory in the first-leg and the value of their odds on this occasion. The home side are favored at 1.72 to go on and win the tie, while Dynamo Kiev are 4.6 and the draw at 4.0. A safer bet for this fixture is PAOK to avoid defeat as that still represents the home team as odds-on favorites.
Visitors' recent form
Dynamo Kiev have been better than PAOK over the last month or so, but that isn't the biggest reason to oppose them in this matchup. The visitors have won six, drawn two and lost two of their last ten across all competitions, which is a good record, but that's a little too positive for the odds makers to give them a chance here.
Tie background
The game in which they drew away to Universitatea Cluj was their fixture in the UEFA Europa League Qualification 2026 and they progressed on penalties after the deadlock couldn't be broken. PAOK were then able to get the better of the visitors 3-2 to grab the advantage in this tie and we think they can edge the second-leg too.
A tactical tug of war awaits at Toumba
PAOK's manager Alessio Lisci took over on the 1st of July 2026 and he's done well to keep his players organised in Europe so far. They play a structured, possession based, tempo-control game with waves of pressure and zonal pressing. The full-backs get high and wide to try and stretch the game, which should suit them in Greece as they'll be in a position to press the opposition if Dynamo play deep.
Dynamo are compact and vertical in their play, with zonal pressing and lots of quick transitions off the turnovers. There's an obvious contrast in styles here and we expect a back-and-forth matchup in which PAOK are the most likely to nick it.
- They have been almost perfect away from home across all competitions, avoiding defeat on their last three trips with 2 wins and a 0-0 draw.
- PAOK's last ten games across all competitions reads 3 wins, 4 draws and 3 defeats, which is a decent run of results, but nothing spectacular.
- The main driver of their play is Andrija Zivkovic, who has 3 assists in his last 5 competitive games, so he'll be key in the final third.
The Ukraine side have the goal power to keep things alive
Dynamo Kiev boss Ihor Kostiuk has been in charge since 28 November 2025 and he's certainly instilled a vertical identity in the Ukraine outfit. They'll look to pressure the PAOK players in possession, and then exploit the space behind them in transition.
The pace in their squad is great, but they lacked a little sharpness in the 3-2 loss away to PAOK last week. That being said, the 0-0 draw with Cluj shows that Dynamo are no pushovers, but their lack of sharpness in the open play does hint at them not being a great bet to secure the win here.
FC PAOK are a decent team, but not a brilliant one, which suggests this will be a close game. They'll be keen to maintain the advantage and, as such, they're unlikely to run away with the match. We think that Dynamo have enough to get on the scoreboard, even if they ultimately don't progress, so Both Teams to Score: Yes at 1.8 looks like the smart bet for this game.
