Greek Super League leaders PAOK host unbeaten Real Betis at Toumba Stadium on Thursday afternoon, January 22, 2026, in a Europa League clash between two sides in excellent form. The Greek outfit sits 18th in the Europa League table with nine points while the Spanish visitors occupy fourth place with 14 points, having won four and drawn two of their six matches. This marks the first competitive meeting between the clubs.
PAOK enters this fixture riding a wave of momentum. Răzvan Lucescu's side defeated OFI 3-0 on Sunday to maintain their position atop the Greek Super League with 41 points from 17 matches. The Double-Headed Eagle have won their last five matches across all competitions, including a 2-0 victory over rivals Olympiacos in the Greek Cup on January 14. They remain unbeaten in 22 consecutive home matches across all competitions and have scored 13 goals in six Europa League fixtures, the joint-highest tally in the competition. However, defensive vulnerabilities persist, with 10 goals conceded in those same European encounters.
Real Betis arrives in Thessaloniki with an impressive unbeaten European record intact. Manuel Pellegrini's men defeated Villarreal 2-0 on Saturday to cement sixth place in La Liga with 32 points from 20 matches. The Andalusians have lost just one of their last eight matches across all competitions, recording five wins and two draws. They defeated Elche 2-1 in the Copa del Rey on January 14 and remain undefeated in their last eight major European away fixtures. The visitors are managing several injury concerns, with Cucho Hernández, Junior Firpo, and Isco Alarcón all sidelined.
Manuel Pellegrini addressed PAOK's threat in his pre-match press conference at Toumba Stadium. "A team that plays very good football, very offensive, that seeks permanent attack," he said. "We have to have defensive security and good ball recovery to have more possession than them. We always go out looking for the game and hopefully tomorrow will not be an exception."
The two clubs have never met competitively before this Europa League encounter. PAOK has secured 11 clean sheets in 17 home matches this season, while Real Betis has conceded just four goals in six Europa League fixtures. The Greek side's attacking approach at home will test Betis's disciplined defensive structure, which has proven resilient throughout the European campaign.
My model backs the home side or a draw at 1.50 odds with an 87.40% win probability. The correct score prediction sits at 1-1, with expected goals of 1.85 for PAOK and 0.69 for Real Betis. PAOK has scored in all six Europa League matches this season, including 3-3 draws in high-scoring affairs. The xG gap suggests PAOK should create more chances at Toumba, but Betis's European away resilience keeps this tightly contested.