On August 6, from 18:00 pm, PAOK Thessaloniki and Ajax Amsterdam meet in the first leg of the preliminary round 3 of the UEFA Champions League, in Greece, where Toumba fans will provoke an atmosphere of big days in front of the Dutch.
We will see a balanced duel, given that Ajax lost important players during the summer break, while PAOK has a homogeneous lot. The revelation of last season’s UEFA Champions League, Ajax comes with offensive intentions in Thessaloniki, but the warrior attitude of the former team coached by Razvan Lucescu should balance the balance on the field.
Both teams had offensive performances appreciated during the summer break. Ajax passed Watford (2-1), OFI Crete (6-2) and drew Sivasspor (1-1), but managed to win the Dutch Super Cup after 2-0 with PSV Eindhoven. It was an excellent performance of the “launchers”, who attacked dangerously and effectively defended themselves in front of the great rival from Eredivisie.
PAOK had some good friends, in which they defeated U Cluj (5-0), St. Truidense (4-0), Anderlecht (3-1) and Sittard (5-1), so the black and white people have a high morale. Last time, the two clubs met in a friendly match played in 2017, when Ajax prevailed with 4-2. In 2016, the two were rivals in the UEFA Champions League, when the Greeks drew in Amsterdam (1-1), but lost on their own ground, by 1-2.
Bookmakers consider Ajax a favorite in qualifying, but PAOK knows that the match on their own field gives them a good chance of replication. As a result, we will bet on a good game of the hosts, but we will avoid betting on the winner of the match. Gaps on both sides can be a “green” option.
PREDICTION: Ajax to win @ 2,10
