Panthessaloníkios Athlitikós Ómilos Konstadinoupolitón vs Real Club Celta de Vigo Prediction on February 19, 2026

Match info

This tie is part of the knockout phase play-offs – 1st leg of the 2025–26 UEFA Europa League, one of Europe’s top men’s football club competitions, just below the Champions League in prestige. The play-offs feature teams that finished just outside the top 8 positions (9-24) in the league phase, vying for the right to advance to the Round of 16. For both Greece’s PAOK and Spain’s Celta, progressing past this two-legged encounter is crucial: it keeps them in contention for a major European knockout round and offers significant exposure, potential prize money, and momentum for the rest of the season.

Football sportsbooks view this as a key fixture with strong incentives for clubs of both profiles.

When:

Date: Thursday, February 19, 2026
Kick-off: 17:45 EET (Eastern European Time, local time zone).

Where:

The first leg takes place at Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece, PAOK’s iconic home ground, known for passionate support and a spirited atmosphere that often lifts the home side’s competitiveness in European ties.

Meeting statistics

Current form and & playstyle: Panthessaloníkios Athlitikós Ómilos Konstadinoupolitón

This season, “Double-Headed Eagle” has been solid in domestic competition, sitting third in Super League Greece, a strong position that reflects consistency under coach Răzvan Lucescu. Their progression into the Europa League knockout phase demonstrates they can meet the demands of European competition alongside league commitments.

Offensively, PAOK have relied on the goal threat of forwards like Giorgos Giakoumakis, whose pace and physical play have helped unlock defences both domestically and on the continental stage. While sometimes vulnerable defensively against top-level attacks, PAOK tend to build patient possession and transition quickly into attacks—particularly effective on home turf, where the crowd’s energy helps them press opponents into errors.

Current form & playstyle: Real Club Celta de Vigo  

The “Sky Blues” enter this match after a respectable campaign in La Liga, positioned solidly in the upper half of the table and competing in one of Europe’s strongest domestic leagues. Under manager Claudio Giráldez, they play an open, possession-oriented style that favours building play through midfield with creative wide support and intelligent movement from players like Borja Iglesias, their top scorer.

In the Europa League league phase, Celta produced mixed results — including a convincing 3–1 win over PAOK earlier in the season — and have shown they can both score freely and struggle to keep clean sheets against determined opposition. This blend of attacking intent and occasional susceptibility makes them an interesting tactical test here, especially away from home.

Head-to-head

Prior meetings between these two this season include this season’s Europa League league phase fixture, where, as noted, Celta beat PAOK 3-1 at home. That performance showcased Celta’s ability to take advantage when they control possession and exploit defensive gaps. It gives Celta a psychological edge, though PAOK will be highly motivated to overturn that result on home soil in this play-off. This was their only prior H2H.

Match analytics

This first leg is likely to be tight. PAOK will aggressively pursue its goals at Toumba Stadium, relying on local support and a direct playing style suited to knockout encounters. Celta, directed by Giráldez’s possession ethos, will focus on control, patient buildup, and trying to strike on the break or exploit set-piece situations. Because of Celta’s previous head-to-head win and their experience in Spain’s competitive league, they may edge the tie over two legs, but PAOK can certainly make the first leg unpredictable.

Tip: Outcome And Both To Score: Draw And Yes at 4.05 odds on RuBet.