Our prediction for this Champions League match:
Crvena Zvezda
Match Time & Date:
19 August 2025
20:00
Prediction: 2-1
Pafos
Stadion Rajko Mitic will be packed when Crvena Zvezda and Pafos go head to head in the Champions League playoffs, first leg. Crvena Zvezda proved their worth in the double-header with Lech Poznan and they are seen as favourites to beat Pafos in front of home fans as well. You should bear in mind, though, that both Rodrigo and Rade Krunic are banned for the first leg. Summer signing Marko Arnautovic should recover in time to face Pafos in Belgrade, while Aleksandar Katai is pushing for a start after scoring a hat-trick in a 4-1 win over Mladost at the weekend.
The Cypriotes, on the other hand, did well to eliminate Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League third qualifying round. Pafos, though, are not regarded as good travellers and we do not believe that they are capable of spoiling Crvena Zvezda’s party at Stadion Rajko Mitic. Pafos boss Juan Carcedo has no fresh injury worries ahead of the trip to Serbia.
Highlighted Player (Marko Arnautovic):
An Austrian footballer born on 19 April 1986, Marko Arnautovic represented a number of Austrian top sides on youth level, but it was at Twente that his professional career began. The winger needed a while to nail down a regular starting berth, but he impressed in his first full season to score 12 Eredivisie goals and earn a lucrative move to Inter Milan.
The unprofessional behaviour seriously cut short his stay at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, but the highly rated footballer was able to kick start his career at Werder Bremen. The successful spell in Bundesliga saw him secure a move to Stoke City, where he has played his best football up to date.
A powerful footballer capable of scoring from distance, Arnautovic is able to operate as a winger, centre forward or attacking midfielder, and he has also impressed playing for the Austria national team. The forward scored 3 goals in the qualifying campaign to help Das Team qualify for the Euro 2016 finals, taking his total goal tally past 10 strikes.
Highlighted Team (Crvena Zvezda):
Crvena Zvezda are the most famous club in Balkans. The Crveno-beli have 19 Yugoslav First League titles and have won eight domestic trophies since the breakup of Yugoslavia. Crvena Zvezda won their last league title in the 2015/2016 season, with the team finishing the campaign no less than 28 points clear of Partizan.
Speaking of Partizan, the Crno-beli are considered Crvena Zvezda’s bitterest rivals and the two teams meet in the “Eternal derby” (Veciti derbi). The capital club did well to win the European Cup title in 1991, with the team beating Olympique Marseile on penalties in the title game. That is considered the club’s biggest success, but it has to be noted that the Serbian club won the International Cup later in 1991. Crvena Zvezda outclassed Colo Colo of Chile (3-0) at National Stadium in Tokyo.
The likes of Dejan Savicevic, Vladimir Jugovic, Dragan Stojkovic, Dragoslav Sekularac, Rajko Mitic, Dusan Savic, Nemanja Vidic and Dejan Stankovic are some of the famous footballers who played for Crvena Zvezda in the past.
Elche 
Betis 
Leeds United 
Everton
Gil Vicente
Porto
Ferencvaros
Qarabag 
Rangers 
Club Brugge 
Real Madrid 
Osasuna 
