Europa League, Wednesday, 09/25/2024 at 9:00 p.m.
The strongest Turkish champions of all time want to go one better in 2024/25! On Wednesday, they started their Europa League adventure, and for the home game, I took a close look at the chances of victory in my Galatasaray PAOK Saloniki betting tip.
I’ll also give you my betting prediction straight away: it won’t be boring on the Bosporus! Of course, I have gathered enough facts to prove that you are in with a chance of betting on Over 2.5 goals.
The Turks know exactly where the opponent’s box is. On top of that, they should be full of confidence after their derby victory against Fenerbahce. But what about motivation when they actually wanted to reach the Champions League?
Our bookmakers are already of the opinion that the attitude will be the right one. Their Galatasaray PAOK Saloniki odds, namely 1.55 to 5.30 on average, mean that a win for the guests would be very surprising.
My Galatasaray PAOK Thessaloniki prediction takes a close look at the different values, because if you assume that 2.5 goals will be scored, it could very well be that the Greeks will also be in the thick of the action!
The bookmakers’ prediction
The betting providers expect Galatasaray to win in the first leg, and the lead is even very clear! There is an average of 1.55, so the win bet is just about profitable.
PAOK Salonika have to live with significantly higher odds for themselves. But be careful, since they only just lost out to Malmö in the CL qualifier, the average 5.30 might be a little ambitious.
A draw would probably not really benefit anyone with the new mode. If there is no winner on Wednesday, the betting odds are 4.30.
ChatGPT is also at our side in international soccer, so I asked which bets with high, medium and low risk could be profitable for the game between Galatasaray and PAOK.
The high risk refers to a home win coupled with goals on both sides. I quickly give my “okay” here. On the one hand, because Gala is very stable, and on the other hand, because there has only been one game without conceding a goal.
On the other hand, the odds are a bit lower if you bet that the Lions will win by at least two goals. I would actually be a bit more cautious here, because PAOK is in good form and Galatasaray lost to Bern twice in the CL qualifier.
The risk would be low at odds of just under 1.60 if you follow the AI recommendations and target over 2.5 goals. Definitely realistic, because Gala’s top offense still concedes goals too often!
Analysis: Galatasaray vs PAOK Saloniki
Things are going pretty well again! Galatasaray finished the last round in the Süper Lig with an incredible 102 points, and knows how hard it will be to top that this season.
The reward for the historic season should have been the Champions League, but Gala were knocked out of the competition by Young Boys in the qualifiers. So, the question is: is the Europa League just a consolation prize, or is it the perfect competition?
Of course, you can never really know. At least the Lions can definitely rely on the fact that they have made a really good start in the Süper Lig. A few days ago, for example, they triumphed 3-1 against Fenerbahce!
Admittedly, the game was made by the opponent, but in the decisive moments, the defending champion was simply ice-cold. All six games have been won, with a whopping 21 goals scored.
Odds Analysis
Turkish teams are not infrequently responsible for late goals. Therefore, it might be advisable to bet that more will happen after the break. If this bet is correct, you can get odds of 1.90 in the Betano app.
In my opinion, the “Both teams to score” bet is also relatively well placed. If this event occurs on Wednesday, average odds of 1.70 can be achieved, so it’s not an unlikely bet!
Since Galatasaray is playing at home and can be sure of the support of the fans, I also believe that the favorite will play forward brightly right from the start. If the Turkish record champions score the 1-0, the odds for this would be 1.50.
Galatasaray vs. PAOK Saloniki: Which offense stands out?
Curious: Only ONE of these comes from top striker Mauro Icardi, who almost always scored in 2023/24. The logical explanation for this is, of course, that the Argentine was out with an injury for a long time but has now fought his way back.
Michy Batshuayi was another striker brought in from Fenerbahce, of all clubs. Gabriel Sara and Dries Mertens also scored against Fener in the derby. 100-million-loan Victor Osimhen is still waiting for his first goal. The responsibility in offense is currently fairly shared among many professionals.
If we want to find a point of criticism, then it is perhaps the fact that, across all competitions, there has only been one game that ended without a goal against.
Never underestimate PAOK!
The ruthless offense has been able to compensate for that so far, but in Europe the wind often changes. Gala has never actually played against PAOK Saloniki, although both have gone through various qualifiers in recent years.
The Lions have faced Greek clubs ten times, with a record of six wins, one draw and three defeats. In the Europa League, there were two matches against Panathinaikos in 2009, which went 1-0 and 3-1 to the Turks.
PAOK have played Fenerbahce twice and Besiktas once, with two wins and a draw making for a very respectable record. Nevertheless, the double chance is already priced at 2.25 at MerkurBets.
In the Champions League qualifiers, Banja Luka was easily beaten, but against Malmö, the white-and-black team then exited the competition in a dramatic 2-2 and 3-4 after extra time.
At least they managed to survive the playoffs for the Europa League, beating Shamrock Rovers 4-0 and 2-0. In the domestic league, things are going well.
Four wins and a draw, only the 0-0 draw against Panathinaikos was less than two goals, so PAOK can actually travel to Istanbul feeling relaxed. Incidentally, there is no one player on the Greek side who is scoring all the goals either.
Taison scored four times, with the other goals shared out among many other players. The quarter-finalist from the last Conference League season knows how to play in knockout games, and in this competition they have already reached the last eight in 2022.
My Galatasaray PAOK Saloniki Tip:
The fans are optimistic, and so are the bookmakers! Galatasaray are the clear favorites going into the game against PAOK Saloniki, but why are the odds so clear? Probably because the Lions are in really good form.
But then again, so are the Greeks! I don’t think that PAOK will have no chance at the RAMS Park, where goals can be scored, and Galatasaray has only managed to finish a competitive game without conceding a goal this season.
The bottom line is that I expect the game to be anything but boring. And that’s also because the opponents are lively. That’s why I’ve decided to think and bet offensively:
The 2.5 goals will be scored!
