PAOK FC vs Dynamo Kyiv prediction 30.07.2026 | UEFA Europa League

PAOK could hardly have asked for a better competitive start under their new head coach. Recovering from an early setback to win away from home highlighted both the character and attacking quality within the squad, while overturning the deficit gives the Greek side an important psychological advantage ahead of the return fixture.

Toumba Stadium has traditionally been one of the most intimidating venues in European football, and PAOK will expect strong home support to help them protect their aggregate lead. The Greek side generally perform with greater intensity on home soil, where their pressing game becomes even more effective. Since the start of the 2016/17 season, PAOK have established themselves as one of the strongest home teams in UEFA competitions, with a win ratio of 61.5% (W24-D9-L6). 

There are, however, some fitness concerns. Summer signing Taha Ali suffered a dislocated shoulder during the first leg and remains a doubt for Thursday's match. Fedor Chalov is also recovering from a meniscus injury, while Shola Shoretire is expected to remain unavailable, reducing PAOK's attacking depth.

Although disappointed by the first-leg defeat, Dynamo Kyiv can take encouragement from several aspects of their performance. Igor Kostyuk's side started brightly, opened the scoring early and consistently created dangerous situations whenever they attacked with pace. 

Dynamo's biggest challenge will be improving their defensive organisation after allowing PAOK to score three times from relatively few clear opportunities. However, Dynamo Kyiv's away record in Europe over the last 10 seasons has been inconsistent, with the Ukrainian side winning just 12 of their last 41 away UEFA matches (29% win ratio). 

They are also dealing with several absences. Mykola Mykhailenko continues his recovery from knee surgery, while Oleksandr Tymchyk, Vladyslav Kabaiev, Reshat Ramadani, Roman Salenko and Vladyslav Zakharchenko are all expected to miss the return leg. Those injuries limit Shovkovskyi's options, particularly in defence.