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Place: Toumba Stadium. Thessaloniki.
Date: on the 08th of August, 2018 (Wednesday)
Match start: 18:00 (GMT+1)
Tournament: EUROPA – Champions League – qualification – semifinals (1st match)
PAOK
Last season the club from Thessaloniki has won the National cup and the berth into qualification of the Champions League according to the results of the championship (the second place). PAOK is seriously progressing recently, having leapfrogged Panathinaikos by its potential and having become serious force on the European football arena which it is necessary to recognize. At the previous stage of qualification of the Champions League PAOK has won over strong Basel (2:1, 3:0) and demonstrated seriousness of the Greek club.
The strength of PAOK is also confirmed by its squad which consists of such famous football players as Varela, Crespo, Mauricio, Prijović, Cañas and Vieirinha. Also in summer PAOK has signed a number of interesting beginners who will become serious strengthening for the club: Khacheridi, LeoJaba and Akpom. The Romanian expert Răzvan Lucescu who is legendary Mircea Lucescu’s son heads this Greek club.
Spartak Moscow
Last season the Moscow participated in a group stage of the Champions League. But Spartak hasn’t managed to defend a title and is forced to pass qualification of the Champions League. The team of Carrera has already played two matches in the Premier League where Spartak has won over Orenburg (1:0) and has gained a goalless draw with Lokomotiv. Results for the Moscow club are quite acceptable as Spartak is still entering the season and his form is not perfect.
The appearance of the Moscow club hasn’t especially changed against the background of last season and Massimo Carrera has the fighters who are checked by time. Spartak has signed contracts with Gigot who became the main central back and Aleksandr Tashayev who is also very reliable football player of the starting lineup. Spartak in the championship during the first rounds of the season was rather academic, but this is the consequence of football style which is shown by many teams in games with the capital grandee.
Bookmaker coefficients on the match PAOK vs. Spartak Moscow
Bookmakers propose small advantage to PAOK in this match, estimating the victory of Greece for 2.34. The draw is estimated by bookmakers for 3.16 and the victory of Spartak – at 3.36. PAOK has received the status of the favorite thanks to a convincing victory over strong Basel which was considered to be the leader of their match. Total-betting on a match is as follow: total over 2.5 for 2.36, total under 2.5 for 1.66.
Match prediction
Despite that success of the Greek club in a match with Basel, we suppose that the favorite of this match is Spartak. The Russian club has high squad potential and also the skilled and wise coach – Massimo Carrera. Success of PAOK is easily explained by the deepest crisis of Basel and this has predetermined an outcome of that match.
