Panathinaikos will play host to Samsunspor in the first leg of the Europa League qualifiers on Thursday, 21 August.
With both teams hoping to reach the league stage of this competition, who will secure the advantage after their first meeting? Find that out and more from our Panathinaikos vs Samsunspor prediction below, but remember to check out some of our other Europa League predictions as well.
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Panathinaikos vs Samsunspor prediction: Another low-scoring affair for the hosts
Key Stats
- We didn't see a single goal in the previous round of the Europa League qualifiers between Panathinaikos and Shakhtar Donetsk.
- Panathinaikos are winless in the four games they played in Europe so far, at least in regular time.
- Samsunspor enter this match on a three-game winning streak, counting pre-season friendlies.
Correct score prediction: Panathinaikos 1-1 Samsunspor
There's little doubt that Panathinaikos are the more experienced team in Europe and, arguably, the better team on paper compared to Samsunspor, but we can see the guests putting up a good fight in this match.
After all, they are a good team that started the season well, while Panathinaikos have struggled so far, albeit against a tough opposition. Still, we wouldn't be surprised if this match ended in a draw, like three of the previous four Panathinaikos games.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Panathinaikos the more likely winners
- HOME: 4/7 (1.57) – 63.60%
- DRAW: 3/1 (4.00) – 25.00%
- AWAY: 9/2 (5.50) – 18.20%
*Odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
We can see from these Panathinaikos vs Samsunspor odds that the hosts are the expected winners and by a pretty clear margin, which is understandable considering their reputation in Europe is much higher than Samsunspor's.
Furthermore, they will have the home-court advantage in this match, and they are in solid form, so we can see why they're favoured to win by the bookies.
In any case, if you liked our predictions for this game, remember to also check our betting tips for today.
Most recent H2Hs: First time to meet
This will be the first-ever meeting between these two teams, and it will also be the first time for Samsunspor to meet with a team from Greece.
However, Panathinaikos have met with Turkish teams before, and they don't have a great record since they've only managed to record one win, along with two draws and three losses.
Panathinaikos preview: Another tough task for the Greens
While the Greek championship has yet to kick off, Panathinaikos have already played four official matches this season, first in the Champions League and then in the Europa League qualifiers. They weren't able to keep up with Rangers in the UCL qualifiers and they were eliminated after a draw and a loss.
Things were also difficult for them against Shakhtar in the last round of the EL qualifiers and their tie ended without any goals after two legs, but Panathinaikos managed to reach the final stage of the qualifiers after a penalty shootout.
Predicted lineup: Dragowski (GK), Kotsiras, Palmer-Brown, Touba, Kyriakopoulos, Chirivella, Tete, Maksimovic, Djurisic, Swiderski & Pellistri
Greece Super League 1 11/05/25
L
Olympiakos
1
Panathinaikos
0
Greece Super League 1 04/05/25
W
AEK Athens
1
Panathinaikos
2
Greece Super League 1 27/04/25
L
PAOK Salonika
2
Panathinaikos
1
Greece Super League 1 13/04/25
W
PAOK Salonika
1
Panathinaikos
3
Greece Super League 1 06/04/25
W
AEK Athens
1
Panathinaikos
3
Samsunspor preview: Hoping to continue their good run
After finishing third in the Turkish Super Lig last season, Samsunspor are joining the Europa League qualifiers in the final stage, but they won't have an easy job in reaching the league phase since they first have to eliminate Panathinaikos, a team that has much more experience in Europe. That being said, Samsunspor have started the new season well, winning both of their matches in their domestic championship.
Meanwhile, Afonso Sousa will miss this match with an injury, while Anthony Musaba is questionable.
Predicted lineup: Kocuk (GK), Yavru, Satka, Van Drongelen, Tomasson, Yuksel, Ntcham, Dimata, Holse, Kilinic & Marius
Tu00fcrkiye Super Lig 04/05/25
W
Eyupspor
0
Samsunspor
3
Tu00fcrkiye Super Lig 26/04/25
W
Bodrum FK
1
Samsunspor
2
Tu00fcrkiye Super Lig 21/04/25
L
Alanyaspor
1
Samsunspor
0
Tu00fcrkiye Super Lig 11/04/25
L
Galatasaray
2
Samsunspor
0
Tu00fcrkiye Super Lig 05/04/25
L
Antalyaspor
2
Samsunspor
1
Player to watch: Filip Djuricic
The experienced Serbian winger, who spent most of his career in Italy, came to Greece in 2023 and has since been a very important part of Panathinaikos' team. In fact, he is currently third-choice captain for the Greens.
Djuricic is also the only Panathinaikos player to score a goal in Europe so far, finding the net in the team's second leg against Rangers. While that goal ultimately didn't do much for Panathinaikos, who were eliminated from the Champions League, it shows how dangerous Djuricic can be and that Samsunspor need to keep a close eye on him.