Match Overview

The highly anticipated third-round match of the 2025/26 group stage will feature Lille (France) taking on PAOK (Greece) on October 23rd at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Villeneuve-d’Ascq. This preview provides an in-depth prediction, betting odds, and key statistics for the Lille vs PAOK clash.

Lille Team Analysis

Lille’s Europa League Journey

The French side commenced their Europa League campaign with a hard-fought victory against Brann, successfully snapping a three-match losing streak in the competition. Following this, Lille secured another impressive win away at Roma. The team has now scored in ten consecutive Europa League fixtures and managed a clean sheet for the first time in seven matches. Under Bruno Génésio, Lille has clinched both their current Europa League wins by a single-goal margin, crucial for maintaining their seventh position in the overall standings.

Key Lille Statistics

• Both teams have scored in 6 of Lille’s last 7 Europa League matches.
• Lille’s recent competitive run in this European tournament spans 6 games, with 3 victories and 3 defeats, indicating a lack of draws.
• The team has conceded at least one goal in their last 7 home Europa League fixtures.

Lille Predicted Lineup (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 Injury Report

Goalkeeper Marc-Aurèle Caillard, along with defenders Ousmane Touré and Alessandro, are sidelined due to injuries. Defender Tiago Santos has recovered and might be available for selection. The participation of midfielders Nabil Bentaleb and Ngalayel Mukau remains uncertain.

PAOK Team Analysis

PAOK’s Europa League Performance

The Greek outfit has yet to secure a victory in their opening Europa League fixtures. Their home encounter against Maccabi Tel Aviv ended in a goalless draw, followed by a defeat to Celta, despite PAOK scoring the opening goal in the first half. Consequently, with just one point, the team currently sits in 28th place in the overall standings. Notably, Răzvan Lucescu’s squad has scored only one goal across two Europa League matches, a tally worse than only three other clubs in the competition.

Key PAOK Statistics

• PAOK has failed to score more than one goal in 8 of their last 9 Europa League appearances.
• The club has covered a +1.5 handicap in 5 of its last 6 matches in this competition.
• At least one team has kept a clean sheet in 6 of PAOK’s last 7 Europa League games.

PAOK Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1)*

Jiří Pavlenka – Abdul Rahman Baba, Alessandro Vogliacco, Giannis Michailidis, Joan Sastre – Alessandro Bianco, Magomed Ozdoev – Giannis Konstantelias, Kiril Despodov, Mady Camara – Georgios Giakoumakis.

PAOK Injury Report

First-choice goalkeeper Jiří Pavlenka is currently injured.

Match Official

Nikola Dabanović (Montenegro)

Referee Statistics

Matches Officiated – 15 (International fixtures, 2024/25–2025/26);

Yellow Cards Issued (including second yellows) – 47;

Average Yellow Cards per Match – 3.1;

Red Cards Issued – 2;

Average Fouls per Match – 22;

Penalties Awarded – 7%.

Lille vs PAOK Match Prediction

Lille’s Strong Start and Home Advantage

After two rounds in the Europa League, Lille has collected the maximum possible six points. Maintaining such a pace in this European competition has not always been typical for them, yet the team has avoided defeat in at least 7 of their last 10 matches. Home losses are generally rare for Lille, with the French side suffering only one defeat in their last six home Europa League fixtures. It’s worth noting that both teams scored in all six of these games, though five out of six encounters featured a maximum of three goals.

PAOK’s Away Struggles

PAOK is still searching for their first victory in the main Europa League tournament. Overall, excluding extra time, the club has managed only one win in their last nine matches in this European competition. Furthermore, seven of these nine encounters saw fewer than four goals scored. On the road, the Greek side has recorded just one victory in regular time over their last eight Europa League away games; six of these eight matches resulted in a loss for PAOK, and the four-goal mark was only surpassed in two of those fixtures.

Final Prediction

Our prediction for this match is a Lille win or draw and Under 3.5 Goals, with odds currently at 1.71.

*The starting lineup for each team is based on their previous match in this tournament.