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RB Salzburg are aiming to build on a good start to the season when they welcome Pafos to the Red Bull Arena for the first leg of their Europa League third qualifying round match on Thursday evening.
The Austrian side have started strong domestically, winning a cup game and their opening fixture in the Austrian Bundesliga.
Meanwhile, Pafos' domestic season is not underway yet, but they did beat Hajduk Split 4-2 on aggregate in the last qualifying round.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
RB Salzburg vs. Pafos key stats
- Salzburg are on a three-game winning run in all competitions.
- Pafos have won just once in five matches across all competitions (D1, L3).
- BTTS came through just once in those five matches.
RB Salzburg vs. Pafos preview: Hosts to take first-leg lead?
Salzburg vs Pafos — Tale of the Tape
| Salzburg | vs | Pafos |
|---|---|---|
| 4th (Austrian Bundesliga) | Position | 4th (Cypriot First Division) |
| 3 | Points | 62 |
| 1 | Goals For | 66 |
| 0 | Goals Against | 38 |
| 1 | Clean Sheets | 15 |
| 4th | Home / Away Rank | 4th |
After finishing third in the Austrian Bundesliga last season, Salzburg have started the new campaign with a victory.
It is a positive start for new manager Danny Rohl, who is tasked to win the 17-time champions their first title since 2022/23.
Salzburg are also hoping to play in the league phase of the Europa League like they did last season, although they finished 31st and failed to qualify for the knockout rounds.
Justin Omoregie, Anrie Chase and Stefan Lainer are all out injured for the hosts, but they should still be able to field a strong XI.
Pafos have no fresh injury concerns themselves and so will also be able to attack this fixture with the hope of getting a positive result.
Ricardo Sa Pinto has endured a mixed start to his tenure, with their 4-0 home victory over Hajduk Split last time out ensuring progress to this round after a 2-0 away defeat in the first leg.
Pafos have also only won one of their four pre-season friendlies (D1, L2) in preparation for the new domestic season, after finishing fourth in the Cypriot First Division last term.
The visitors also tasted Champions League football, but have had to settle for the Europa League this time around.
RB Salzburg vs. Pafos form guide & betting tips
| Salzburg | vs | Pafos |
|---|---|---|
LLWWW |
Form | DLLLW |
| 14 | Goals For | 6 |
| 6 | Goals Against | 6 |
N/A |
Europa League | LW |
Whispers predicts: RB Salzburg 2-0 Pafos
Salzburg are favourites for victory with bookies, and given their home advantage and superior form, we are happy to back Salzburg to win at 4/7 (1.57).
BTTS – No at 23/20 (2.15) is our next pick, with it coming through just once in Pafos' previous five games.
Under 2.5 goals at 6/5 (2.20) is our final bet, with Salzburg having only won 1-0 in their league opener and Pafos losing 2-0 in their away leg in the previous round.
Overall, we are predicting a 2-0 Salzburg win, which can be backed at 8/1 (9.00).
> Salzburg to win at 4/7 (1.57) | Likelihood: Probable
> BTTS – No at 23/20 (2.15) | Likelihood: Possible
> Under 2.5 goals at 6/5 (2.20) | Likelihood: Possible