Our prediction for this Europa Conference League match:
Buoyed by a 2-0 win over AEK in the Greek Super League, PAOK will be aiming to give fans yet another reason for celebration when they take on Slovan Bratislava in the Europa Conference League round 2. The Black and Whites recorded a routine 2-0 win over minnows Lincoln Red Imps in their opener, and a triumph over Slovan Bratislava will see them move one step closer to booking their place in the knockout stages.
A man to watch in the away team will be winger Diego Biseswar, who scored a beautiful goal in the Super League derby at the weekend, while attacking midfielder Augusto returns to the starting XI after missing the first group game. Slovan Bratislava experienced all sorts of problems at the back in a 3-1 loss to Copenhagen, and they are unlikely to spoil PAOK’s party at Toumba Stadium. Defender Vernon De Marco is back from suspension for the visiting side.
Highlighted Player (Omar El Kaddouri):
Omar El Kaddouri is a Moroccan footballer born in Brussels, Belgium on August 21, 1990. El Kaddouri was an Anderlecht player at the start of his senior career, but he did not see any game action for the Belgian side in the Jupiler League.
The 187-cm tall midfielder played for Brescia, Suditrol, Napoli, Torino and Empoli before signing a four-year deal with PAOK on August 24, 2017. The Morocco international won the Greek Cup with the black and whites, with the team beating AEK Athens in the title game. Omar El Kaddouri scored his first goal for the Greek side in a 3-1 victory over Panionios in April, 2018.
On the other hand, the PAOK midfielder made his Morocco debut in August, 2014 in a friendly against Burkina Faso. He opened his goal-scoring account with the Morocco national team on May 23, 2014 in a 4-0 victory over Mozambique. His main position is attacking midfielder, but he is capable of playing as a winger as well.
Highlighted Team (Slovan Bratislava):
Over the years Slovan Bratislava have established themselves as the most successful Slovakian club. The Belasi clinched their 13th domestic trophy in the 2018/2019 season, finishing the campaign 14 points clear of second-placed Zilina. Slovan Bratislava welcome their rivals at Tehelne pole, the stadium with the capacity of 22,500.
The Tehelne pole club wear white shirts and white shorts when playing at home, while blue is the dominant colour of their away kit. Spartak Trnava are regarded as the club’s fiercest rivals, but they hold the rivalry with DAC Dunajska Streda as well. There have always been fireworks in matches between Slovan and Inter Bratislava, especially when both teams were part of the Czechoslovak First League.
In the 1968/69 season Slovan Bratislava won the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, with the team beating star-studded La Liga side Barcelona in the title game. It has to be noted that the likes of Cvetler, Hrivnak and Jan Capkovic scored for the Slovaks in the final of the European competition.