Panetolikos vs PAOK Prediction: PAOK must find a way to win

PAOK are in a bit of a crisis, and the knocking out of the national cup last week is something that hurt the fans, especially since their great rival Panathinaikos were better in the semifinals. In the league, they lost against Olympiakos and drew against AEK, so this away match against Panetolikos is very important for them. The hosts are undefeated in the last 3 matches, but they are still in the lower part of the table without big aspirations and ambitions. 

Form: DLWDL

Panetolikos are playing well recently, but they are still in 11th place with 19 points, 4 wins, 7 draws, and 12 defeats. At home, they have 4 wins, 3 draws and 4 defeats. In the last round, they played a draw against Asteras T. in a difficult away match, they scored a late goal and made it 2:2. Their last win against PAOK was in 2015, but in this stadium, their last win was in 2013. They expect huge support in the stands, but their manager is aware of the quality of these teams and the difference between them, and in the announcement of the match he said that defending will be the main focus of the team against PAOK.

Form: DLLDW

PAOK are in 2nd position with 4 points less than AEK and same number of points as Panathinaikos. Last week they were knocked out of the national cup by Panathinaikos after a penalty shootout. It was a huge blow for them, especially after a heavy defeat against Olympiakos in the last round. Their manager said that they have no other plans or tactics except to put themselves together and go for all 3 points in this match. They also will have matches in the Europa Conference league next month against Dinamo Zagreb, and this kind of match are a must-win for PAOK at the moment.

PAOK won 19 matches in a row against Panetolikos in all competitions, and this match comes at the right time for them, after several difficult matches in the league and cup. The title race is getting tighter, European matches are on the schedule and this period of the season is the most important for PAOK. They are already out of one competition, in the Conference league they will face Dinamo Zagreb, while in the league they are still in the title race but they need to start winning again. I expect PAOK to “wake up” against Panetolikos and win confidently with several goals scored in the opponent’s net.