Benfica v PAOK facts
Benfica will be looking to extend their ideal home record opposite PAOK as a sides accommodate in Lisbon with a UEFA Champions League organisation theatre place on a line.
• The Portuguese side have won both prior ties opposite their Greek opponents, and will be fervent to lapse to a organisation theatre carrying mislaid all 6 games in finishing bottom of their 2017/18 section. For their part, PAOK are looking to strech a organisation theatre for a initial time, all 4 of their prior UEFA Champions League campaigns carrying finished in a subordinate rounds.
Previous meetings
• Both a clubs’ ties to date have come in a UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, Benfica winning a initial of them 4-1 on penalties after a 3-3 total pull – any side carrying won 2-1 divided – in a 1999/2000 second round.
• The teams met again in a 2013/14 turn of 32, Benfica winning a initial leg 1-0 in Greece and scoring 3 times in a final 20 mins behind in Lisbon to hang adult a 4-0 total success.
• Luisão and Eduardo Salvio seemed for Benfica in both legs of a latter tie, with Jardel and Ljubomir Fejsa featuring in a initial game; Panagiotis Glykos and Stelios Kitsiou played in both games for PAOK.
Form guide
Benfica
• Portuguese Liga runners-up in 2017/18, Benfica are looking to validate for a UEFA Champions League organisation theatre for a 14th time – and a ninth deteriorate in a row.
• Benfica reached this season’s play-offs with a 2-1 total win opposite Fenerbahçe in a third subordinate turn (1-0 home, 1-1 away). The initial leg finished a run of 7 unbroken European defeats – a Eagles unwell to measure in a final 5 of those – nonetheless Benfica have won usually dual of their final 12 continental fixtures (D2 L8).
• This is usually Benfica’s second UEFA Champions League play-off; they won a first, opposite Twente in 2011/12 (2-2 away, 3-1 home).
• The 1999 second-leg better by PAOK is Benfica’s usually detriment during home to Greek visitors; they have won 5 of their 7 fixtures in Lisbon.
PAOK
• Greek Super League runners-up for a second time in 3 years in 2017/18, PAOK’s many new UEFA Champions League debate lasted usually one tie – a 3-2 total better by Ajax in a 2016/17 third subordinate round.
• Last season, PAOK kick Olimpik Donetsk in a UEFA Europa League third subordinate turn (3-1 aggregate) though were knocked out in a play-offs on divided goals by Östersund of Sweden (3-1 home, 0-2 away).
• PAOK have suspended Basel 5-1 on total (2-1 home, 3-0 away) and Spartak Moskva 3-2 on total (3-2 home, 0-0 away) to strech this stage.
• The better during Östersund is PAOK’s usually retreat in their final 6 European divided fixtures (W2 D3); a Greek side have mislaid usually dual of 11 divided games in continental foe (W5 D4).
• PAOK’s usually prior UEFA Champions League play-off was a 4-3 total retreat opposite Schalke in 2013/14 (1-1 away, 2-3 home). Their UEFA Europa League play-off record is W5 L3.
• The Salonika bar have mislaid on dual of their 3 trips to Portugal, a difference that eventually fatuous second-leg win during Benfica in 1999.
Links and trivia
• Benfica midfielder Andreas Samaris has 32 caps for Greece.
• PAOK defender Fernando Varela was innate in Portugal, though is a Cape Verde international.
• Have played in Greece:
Odisseas Vlachodimos (Panathinaikos 2016–18)
Ljubomir Fejsa (Olympiacos 2011–13)
Andreas Samaris (Panachaiki 2006–10, Panionios 2010–13, Olympiacos 2013/14)
• Vlachodimos and Giannis Mystakidis were Panathinaikos team-mates in 2017/18.
• Have played in Portugal:
Fernando Varela (Rio Maior 2006/07 loan, Estoril Praia 2007–09, Trofense 2009–11, Feirense 2011/12)
Vieirinha (Porto 2003–05 2006/07, Marco 2005/06 loan, Leixões 2007/08 loan)
Dimitris Pelkas (Vitória FC, 2014/15 loan)
• International team-mates:
André Almeida, Pizzi, Rafa Silva Vieirinha (Portugal)
Andreas Samaris Panagiotis Glykos, Stelios Kitsiou, Dimitris Pelkas (Greece)
Andrija Živković Aleksandar Prijović (Serbia)