No Swiss stroll for Basel at PAOK's Toumbas fortress

Champions League
Second-qualifying round first leg

Basel reached the last 16 of the Champions League last season but bookmakers are not expecting a Swiss stroll at Stadio Toumbas in Thessaloniki in this second qualifying round first leg.

Greek Super League runners-up PAOK are no bigger than evens to gain an advantage in the tie even though they are winless in their last 15 Champions League and European Cup outings and were knocked out on away goals by Ostersunds in the third round of Europa League qualifying last season.

PAOK finished last campaign in fine style, beating champions AEK Athens 2-0 in the Greek Cup final to make it seven wins on the spin in all competitions, and they have ticked over tidily in pre-season with only one defeat in seven friendlies.

Serbia striker Aleksandar Prijovic, who scored 27 goals in all competitions last season, is back in the PAOK fold after the World Cup and key midfielders Omar El Kaddouri and Diego Biseswar seem to be winning their fitness battles.

Swiss runners-up Basel were beaten 2-1 at home by St Gallen in Saturday's first Super League match of the new campaign, conceding an injury-time winner after levelling through an own goal, and lost their last two main friendlies to Wolves and Feyenoord.

Over 2.5 goals could prove a value bet.

There have been three or more strikes in 12 of PAOK's last 13 Toumbas tussles in all competitions - 11 wins, two defeats - as well as their Ostersunds home Europa clash.

Four of Basel's last five away games contained four or more goals and last season they scored two in winning away Champions League matches at Spartak Moscow, Benfica and Manchester City and lost 3-0 at Manchester United.

Recommendation
Over 2.5 goals
1pt 5-4 Betfair, Paddy Power

Bet on this match at Soccerbase.com

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