The Europa League playoffs are getting exciting on Thursday, 21 August 2025, with some important first-leg matches. Brann hopes to take advantage of playing at home against AEK Larnaca, while Shkendija faces a challenging match against the Bulgarian champions Ludogorets.
Zrinjski will play against the Dutch team Utrecht, and Slovan Bratislava will compete with the Swiss team Young Boys in one of the most exciting games of the night. At the same time, Rijeka will host PAOK in what is expected to be a tense and closely contested match.
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Brann vs AEK Larnaca
Brann played in the second qualifying round of the Champions League against Salzburg. They lost the first leg 1-4 at home, which put them in a tough spot. The second leg ended in a 1-1 draw away, leading to a 5-2 loss on aggregate and a move to the Europa League’s third qualifying round. There, they faced Hacken. Brann won the first leg 2-0 away, but in the second leg at home, they lost 0-1, yet they still advanced 2-1 on aggregate.
Throughout these rounds, Brann scored an average of 1 goal per match in the Champions League qualifiers but improved to 1 goal per match in the Europa League, conceding 2.5 goals overall while achieving high expected goals (xG).
AEK began their journey in the Europa League’s first qualifying round against Partizan. They won the first leg 1-0 at home, then lost 1-0 away, but they moved on through penalties.
In the second qualifying round against Celje, they won with a 3-1 aggregate, showing their strength at home and good finishing skills. The third qualifying round had them up against Legia. AEK won 4-1 at home, then lost 2-1 away, but advanced 5-2 on aggregate thanks to their strong defense and high pressing that caused mistakes.
Looking at the stats and how both teams are playing, Brann’s strong home record and recent scoring should give them the edge over AEK’s solid defense, especially since the Norwegians create more expected goals at home.
1 (Brann to Win)
Odds:1.75
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Shkendija vs Ludogorets
Shkendija kicked off their journey in the first qualifying round against TNS, winning with a 2-1 aggregate score. In the second qualifying round, they faced FCSB, where they triumphed 1-0 at home and 2-1 away, moving on with a 3-1 aggregate thanks to their sharp finishing and strong performance away from home.
However, they struggled against Qarabag, suffering a 0-1 loss at home and a 1-5 defeat away, which led to a 1-6 aggregate elimination, showing their defensive weaknesses against tougher teams.
They then dropped down to the Europa League playoff, having made progress but also revealing some vulnerabilities in the later rounds.
Ludogorets began their campaign in the first qualifying round against Din. Minsk. They were strong in the first leg, winning 1-0 at home, but lost in regular time away. However, they performed better in extra time, advancing with a 3-2 aggregate score.
In the second qualifying round against Rijeka, they had a 0-0 draw away and a solid 3-1 win at home, securing a 3-1 aggregate victory with strong defense and dominance at home.
When they faced Ferencvaros, they had a 0-0 draw at home but lost 3-0 away, resulting in a 2-4 aggregate defeat and elimination. Their journey showed consistent progress until they met a more tactically skilled team, which sent them to the Europa League playoff.
Ludogorets’s greater experience in European competitions, along with their squad depth and solid defense, should give them the upper hand over Shkendija’s home advantage, especially after the heavy defeats the hosts have recently faced.
2 (Ludogorets to Win)
Odds:2.04
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Zrinjski vs Utrecht
As the champions of the Bosnian Premier League, Zrinjski took on Virtus from San Marino in the first qualifying round of the Champions League. They managed to win the first leg at home with a score of 1-0 and then won 3-1 away, which meant they advanced with a total score of 4-1 thanks to their strong finishing.
However, in the second qualifying round against Slovan Bratislava, they faced a tough challenge, losing 0-4 at home and drawing 2-2 away, resulting in a 2-6 aggregate score that revealed some defensive problems.
After dropping down to the Europa League’s third qualifying round, they played against Breidablik. The first leg ended in a 1-1 draw at home, with a late penalty equalizer saving them. They then won 2-1 away, moving on with a 3-2 aggregate score.
On the other hand, Utrecht, who finished fourth in the Dutch Eredivisie, began their journey in the Europa League’s second qualifying round against Sheriff Tiraspol. They had a strong performance, winning 4-1 at home and 3-1 away, which allowed them to advance with a total score of 7-2 due to their dominant attacking style.
In the third qualifying round against Servette, they continued their success with a 3-1 win away and a 2-1 victory at home, progressing with a 5-2 aggregate score. Utrecht’s qualifiers showed they could consistently score a lot of goals and had a deep squad.
With Utrecht’s impressive attacking average of 3 goals per game in the qualifiers and their recent success away from home, they are likely to take advantage of Zrinjski’s defensive weaknesses. We expect at least 3 goals during the match.
3+ (Over 2.5)
Odds:1.69
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Slovan Bratislava vs Young Boys
Slovan made it to the second qualifying round of the Champions League to face Zrinjski Mostar. They won the first match 4-0 at home and drew 2-2 in the away game, moving on with a total score of 6-2 thanks to their strong offense.
In the next round against Kairat Almaty, they lost the first match 1-0 away but managed to win 1-0 at home, which meant they tied 1-1 overall. Unfortunately, they lost 3-4 in the penalty shootout, which meant they were eliminated and dropped down to the Europa League playoff.
Their performance showed they could come back from tough situations, but they also had some weaknesses in defense.
As the runners-up in Switzerland, Young Boys skipped the earlier qualifying rounds and went straight into the Europa League playoff round. They haven’t played any European matches this season and have been focusing only on their domestic games.
In their league, they haven’t started as well as expected, and after playing four matches, they have only one win, two draws, and one loss. Based on what they have shown so far, they have some issues in their defense.
Slovan’s advantage of playing at home and their strong defense might help them handle Young Boys’ attack, but the Swiss team’s history and ability to score could still lead to a goals in this match.
3+ (Over 2.5)
Odds:1.69
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Rijeka vs PAOK
Rijeka started their journey in the Champions League second qualifying round against Ludogorets. They ended the first leg at home with a score of 0-0, and in the second match, they tied 1-1. However, they lost in extra time, finishing 3-1 on aggregate, which meant they dropped down to the Europa League third qualifying round.
In that round, Rijeka faced Shelbourne and surprisingly lost 1-2 at home in the first leg. They bounced back with a 3-1 victory away in the second leg, moving on with a 4-3 aggregate score.
Overall, Rijeka’s qualifying matches showed they struggled at home but had the ability to make a comeback.
PAOK entered the Europa League third qualifying round directly, facing Wolfsberger AC from Austria. They finished the first leg at home with a score of 0-0. In the second leg, as the away team, they also drew 0-0 in regular time but advanced by scoring a goal in the 115th minute of the match.
As the Greek runners-up, PAOK skipped earlier rounds and focused on a careful, low-scoring strategy in their first matches this season.
Looking at the stats and form, Rijeka’s home advantage and recent scoring could put pressure on PAOK’s strong defense. However, the Greeks’ historical advantage and low-scoring style might lead to a match with few goals.
0-2 (Under 2.5)
Odds:1.76
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Kindly be advised that all odds are accurate as of the publication date and time indicated, and they may be subject to alterations.
