Recap
The atmosphere around PAOK remains extremely tense ahead of a demanding period of the season. The club recently lost their best player, Giannis Konstantelias, who completed a reported €32 million move to Borussia Dortmund. The 23-year-old attacking midfielder was one of PAOK’s most influential players, particularly in Europe, where he contributed 3 goals and 1 assist. His departure leaves a significant hole in the team.
PAOK now have to prepare for the second leg against Brann in Norway, arguably one of their most important matches of the early season. With that fixture just around the corner, coach Lisi is expected to rotate his starting lineup and manage the squad carefully. The situation is further complicated by injuries, with Camara, Despodov, Meïté and Taha Ali unavailable.
Levadiakos, meanwhile, enjoyed a positive preparation period and have already started the competitive season on the right foot, defeating Asteras Tripolis 2:0 in the Greek Cup.
Their most important summer signing, Argentine forward AgustÃn Urzi, made an immediate impact on his debut by scoring both goals. His pace, movement and attacking quality could cause serious problems for a PAOK defense that may not feature its strongest lineup.
PAOK have one eye on the crucial European return leg, are dealing with several injuries and have just lost their most important attacking player, while Levadiakos arrive with confidence and a striker who has already made an immediate impact.
I believe the current odds offer strong value on Levadiakos and with the market likely to react as the match approaches, I expect the odds to drop.