Shakhtar Donetsk vs Panathinaikos Prediction and Betting Tips

Shakhtar Donetsk will face Panathinaikos at the Henrky-Reyman-Stadium on Thursday in the second leg of their 2025-26 third-round UEFA Europa League qualifying campaign. The Ukrainian outfit comfortably saw off Ilves in the first round of the qualifiers before picking up an impressive 6-2 aggregate win over Turkish side Besiktas in the second.

They played out a goalless draw in their first-leg clash with Panathinaikos last week and will be looking to regain their goalscoring touch when they play on Thursday as they target a spot in the play-off round.

Panathinaikos, meanwhile, began their quest for European action in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers last month but were knocked out by Rangers in the second round after suffering a 3-1 aggregate defeat to the Scottish giants.

The Greek club failed to secure an advantage in their first-leg clash on home turf last week despite creating a couple of good chances to get on the scoresheet. They must now step things up significantly when they hit the road this week if they are to advance to the play-off round, where Samsunspor await.

Shakhtar Donetsk vs Panathinaikos Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

Thursday's game will mark just the second meeting between the two teams following their maiden matchup last week.
The visitors have had seven competitive meetings against Ukrainian opposition. They have won three of those games, drawn three, and lost the other.
The hosts have had four meetings against Greek sides in competitive action. They are undefeated in all four games, picking up a win and three draws.
Shakhtar last appeared in the main stages of the Europa League back in the 2016-17 campaign, while Panathinaikos last featured in the tournament in the 2023-24 season.

Shakhtar Donetsk vs Panathinaikos Prediction

Hirnyky are on a run of back-to-back draws and are undefeated in competitive action since April. They are favorites heading into this one despite having no 'home advantage', with the midweek clash set to be played in Poland.

Trifýlli have also drawn their last two matches and have won just one of their last six competitive games. They failed to maximize their home advantage last week and could be punished for that on Thursday.

Prediction: Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0 Panathinaikos

Shakhtar Donetsk vs Panathinaikos Betting Tips

Tip 1 - Result: Shakhtar Donetsk to win

Tip 2 - Goals - Over/under 2.5 - Under 2.5 goals (Five of the visitors' last seven matches have produced fewer than 2.5 goals)

Tip 3 - Both teams to score: No (Both sides have found the back of the net in two of the hosts' last nine matches)

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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