Maccabi Tel-Aviv vs Pafos Prediction and Betting Tips

Maccabi Tel-Aviv will be up against Pafos at the TSC Arena on Wednesday in the second leg of their 2025-26 second-round UEFA Champions League qualifying campaign. The tie remains up for grabs for both sides after their draw in the first leg and will leave both sides desperate to get the win.

Maccabi needed an impressive finish from Elad Madmon in the dying seconds of added time to rescue a draw when they took the trip to Cyprus last week. The Israeli side, who have been a constant feature in European tournaments over the past decade, have only managed three wins across their last six games and will need to put up a much better performance this midweek to advance to the next round.

Pafos were disappointed to concede so late in the game having just scored in the 81st minute of their 1-1 home draw against Maccabi in the first-leg. The Cypriot side are only appearing in the preliminary rounds of a European tournament for the second season in their history and will be thrilled to make it as far as the third qualifying round, where they would face either Hamrun Spartans or Dynamo Kyiv.

Maccabi Tel-Aviv vs Pafos Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

Wednesday will mark only the second ever meeting between the two sides following last week's draw.
Maccabi have played against Cypriot teams seven times in their history. They have lost one, won one and drawn five of those games.
Pafos made it to the round of 16 of last season's Conference League campaign.
Maccabi Tel-Aviv’s highest finish in a European competition came in the 2023-24 Conference League season, where they made it to the round of 16.

Maccabi Tel-Aviv vs Pafos Prediction

The Yellows are slight favorites going into Wednesday's game, but will need to be at their best to get a win against a highly competitive side.

Pafos will be optimistic to get a result and would likely hope to force the game into extra time or even penalties. They, however, failed to make the most of their home advantage last time out and could be punished for that on Wednesday.

Prediction: Maccabi Tel-Aviv 2-1 Pafos

Maccabi Tel-Aviv vs Pafos Betting Tips

Tip 1 - Result: Maccabi Tel-Aviv

Tip 2 - Goals - Over/under 2.5 - Over 2.5 goals (Eight of Maccabi’s last nine games have produced more than 2.5 goals)

Tip 3 - Both teams to score: Yes (Both teams have gotten on the scoresheet in four of the home side’s last five games)

About the author

Jedidiah is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda, who has been covering match previews for more than 3 years. Currently pursuing an engineering degree from the University of Ibadan, he conducts thorough research and ensures to be up-to-date with football news across the globe to create the most accurate previews.

A Manchester United fan, Jedidiah fell in love with football and the Red Devils since their UEFA Champions League triumph over Chelsea in 2008. He is a big fan of Robert Lewandowski and his historic performances from 2020, but feels that only Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are capable of replicating the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry. His all-time favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti due to the Italian's remarkable composure in difficult moments of a contest. Spain's 1-0 win over Netherlands in the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup is etched in his memory forever.

A true student of the game, Jedidiah relishes identifying hidden gems from lower-tiered leagues such as the EFL Championship and the Eredivisie. When not creating previews, he likes playing football and reading books.

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