PAOK will look to improve their chances of qualifying for the UEFA Europa League when they welcome Anderlecht to Toumba Stadium on Thursday.
The Greek outfit finished 17th last season in the competition, having won three and drawn three of their eight matches.
PAOK were eventually dumped out by Celta Vigo after losing 3-1 on aggregate, but a third-place finish in the Greek Super League means they are back to prove a point.
Anderlecht had a season to forget as they finished sixth in the Belgian Pro League and they will be eager to prove they can still compete at a high level in Europe.
PAOK v Anderlecht Tips Summary
Best Bet - PAOK -1 handicap @ 13/8
Alternative Bet - Over 2.5 goals @ 8/11
Bet Builder - Over 10 corners, HT/FT - PAOK/PAOK, PAOK over 2 goals @ 11/1
PAOK v Anderlecht Prediction
Best Bet: PAOK -1 handicap @ 13/8
Anderlecht have plenty to prove after last year's disappointing results, as they failed to win any silverware.
Last season's top scorer, Thorgan Hazard, has left on a free transfer to join Lens, while Nathan De Cat, Jan-Carlo Simic and Keisuke Goto have all moved on.
They had three different managers in the dugout last season, but it is now Vitor Bruno who has been tasked with transforming their fortunes.
The squad Bruno inherited was stronger than his current crop of players, but in pre-season they did manage to avoid defeat.
Once the level of competition stepped up, though, they were held to a 1-1 draw by Hammarby in the UEFA Europa League, before securing a 3-1 success in the second leg.
Swedish club Hammarby are not on the same level as PAOK, and the Greek side should be able to showcase their quality from the outset.
PAOK beat Dynamo Kyiv 5-2 in the last round of the Europa League and they have won five of their last seven home European qualifiers without conceding.
Anderlecht have not won any of their last five competitive away games, while it is only one win in nine on their travels.
PAOK have scored two or more goals in eight of their last 10 at home, including friendlies, and they should be able to record a routine victory on Thursday.
Alternative Bet: Over 2.5 goals @ 8/11
PAOK's recent home form in front of goal is hard to ignore and another high-scoring game looks likely.
The Greek side scored two goals or more in five of their eight league phase games last season, while five of their matches contained over 2.5 goals.
Anderlecht's recent performances in competitive ties also suggest they will struggle to keep the ball out of the back of the net, having conceded 22 goals in 10 games.
With Anderlecht under new management and their squad weaker than last season, it is tough to see them turning their fortunes around at the back.
The Belgian giants have scored in nine consecutive ties, though, so backing over 2.5 goals also covers the visitors picking up a consolation goal.
PAOK v Anderlecht Bet Builder Tip
Over 10 corners
HT/FT PAOK/PAOK
PAOK over 2 goals
Pays @ 11/1
With home support, PAOK should be the team pushing the tempo on Thursday, which naturally means they should win more set-pieces.
However, they conceded six corners to Dynamo Kyiv last week, while Anderlecht earned 10 against Hammarby.
The visitors have scored enough goals of late to suggest they will go down swinging, which means we should witness plenty of corners on Thursday.
Anderlecht's dismal away form is another important factor ahead of kick-off, and Bruno may need a few weeks to settle into the job.
His side were poor in their last away game in the Europa League and PAOK are a level above Hammarby, which suggests they may struggle.
The fact that Anderlecht have conceded 22 goals in 10 competitive games suggests they have yet to iron out their defensive woes and PAOK should be able to punish them as they look to put one foot in the next round.
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Key Match Stats
PAOK are unbeaten in their last six competitive matches
PAOK have only tasted defeat in one of their last 12 European qualifiers at Toumba Stadium
Anderlecht are winless in their last five away fixtures
The Belgian outfit have won only one of their last nine away games
Both teams have scored in Anderlecht's last four matches
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
