Match Overview
Anticipate a thrilling 2025/26 group stage fixture as French side Lille hosts Greek contenders PAOK on October 23rd at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Villeneuve-d’Ascq. This comprehensive preview delves into the Lille vs PAOK clash, offering an in-depth match prediction, betting insights, competitive odds, and relevant statistics.Lille Team Analysis
Lille’s Recent Form
The French squad initiated their Europa League journey with a hard-won triumph against Brann, effectively snapping a concerning three-match losing streak in the competition. Following this, Lille continued their impressive run by securing maximum points in an away fixture against Roma. Demonstrating consistent offensive prowess, the team has now found the back of the net in ten consecutive Europa League encounters. Furthermore, they achieved a clean sheet for the first time in seven matches. Under Bruno Genesio’s guidance, Lille has secured narrow victories in both their current Europa League fixtures, showcasing their ability to clinch crucial points and maintaining a solid 7th position in the tournament standings.Lille Key Statistics
- Both teams have registered goals in six of Lille’s previous seven Europa League appearances.
- Lille’s competitive run in this European tournament now stands at six matches, evenly split with three victories and three defeats.
- The team has conceded at least one goal in seven consecutive home fixtures within the Europa League.
Lille’s Predicted Starting XI (4-4-2)*
Berke Özer – Thomas Meunier, Aïssa Mandi, Chancel Mbemba, Calvin Verdonk – Félix Correia, Nabil Bentaleb, Ayoub Bouaddi, Osame Sahraoui – Hákon Haraldsson, Olivier Giroud.Lille Team News
Goalkeeper Marc-Aurèle Caillard, alongside defenders Ousmane Touré and Alessandro, will be sidelined due to injury. However, fellow defender Tiago Santos has regained fitness and is a potential returnee to the lineup. The availability of midfielders Nabil Bentaleb and Ngalayel Mukau for this fixture remains uncertain.PAOK Team Analysis
PAOK’s Recent Performance
PAOK has navigated their initial Europa League fixtures without securing a win. Their home clash against Maccabi Tel Aviv concluded in a stalemate, followed by a loss to Celta, despite the Greek side managing to open the scoring in the first half. Accumulating only a single point, the team currently languishes in 28th place in the overall standings. Notably, over their two Europa League games, Răzvan Lucescu’s squad has collectively found the net only once, a scoring record surpassed by all but three other participating clubs.PAOK Key Statistics
- PAOK has scored no more than one goal in eight of their previous nine Europa League matches.
- The club has covered a (+1.5) handicap in five of their last six fixtures in this competition.
- In six of PAOK’s last seven Europa League outings, at least one team failed to score.
PAOK’s Predicted Starting XI (4-2-3-1)*
Jiří Pavlenka – Baba Rahman, Alessandro Vogliacco, Giannis Michailidis, Joan Sastre – Alessandro Bianco, Magomed Ozdoyev – Giannis Konstantelias, Kiril Despodov, Madi Camara – Georgios Giakoumakis.PAOK Team News
Key goalkeeper Jiří Pavlenka is currently sidelined due to injury.Match Official
Referee Statistics: Nikola Dabanović
Nikola Dabanović (Montenegro)
Matches – 15 (International fixtures, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 47;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.1;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties awarded – 7%.
Match Prediction: Lille vs PAOK
Lille’s Strong Start and Home Record
Having completed two rounds of the Europa League, Lille has secured an impeccable six points, the maximum attainable. While sustaining such momentum in this competition has historically been challenging for them, the team has remained unbeaten in seven of their last ten fixtures. Home defeats are a rarity for Lille, with the French side registering only one loss in their last six Europa League home games. Interestingly, both teams managed to score in all six of these encounters, yet five of those six matches saw a total of no more than three goals.PAOK’s Away Struggles and Goal Trends
PAOK, however, is yet to claim a victory in the primary Europa League tournament phase. Broadly, discounting extra time, the club has managed just one win in their last nine outings in this European competition. Furthermore, seven of these nine matches concluded with three or fewer goals. When playing away, PAOK has secured only a solitary victory in their last eight Europa League away fixtures in regular time. Six of these eight matches resulted in losses for the Greek side, and a total of four goals or more was only observed in two of these games.Final Betting Pick
Our Forecast: “Lille (1X) and Total Under 3.5 Goals” with odds 1.71
Marcus Thornwell
