Pafos vs Red Bull Salzburg

Pafos host Red Bull Salzburg on Thursday in the return leg of their UEFA Europa League third qualifying round tie, carrying a 1-0 deficit from a rain-interrupted first leg in Austria. Haris Tabakovic’s 88th-minute winner at the Red Bull Arena separates the sides, leaving the Cypriot outfit needing a comeback on home soil to keep their group-stage ambitions alive.

Team News and Injury Latest

Salzburg remain without five players: Hendry Blank (illness), Anrie Chase (thigh), Stefan Lainer (heel), Johannes Moser (adductors) and Justin Omoregie (thigh) all miss the trip. Enrique Aguilar is also sidelined for several weeks after picking up a knock in the first leg, joining fellow midfielder Soumaila Diabate — who was forced off in the 58th minute last week — on the treatment table. Adam Daghim has left the club, completing a permanent move to Hoffenheim.

Pafos have a significant absentee of their own with goalkeeper Charalambos Kyriakidis ruled out by an arm injury. Winger Jaja remains a long-term absentee after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the previous round against Hajduk Split. New attacking signing Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu is ineligible for this tie. The Cypriots will also be without Ken Sema, who received a second yellow card deep into stoppage time in Austria and serves a one-match ban.

Pafos Form Guide and First-Leg Recap

Pafos were seconds away from a valuable goalless draw in the first leg before Tabakovic struck from close range after a period of sustained Salzburg pressure. Danny Röhl’s side created nine chances across the 90 minutes, while Pafos managed five — their most dangerous moment arriving through Vlad Dragomir’s 58th-minute header that drifted wide. The match was disrupted by a lengthy rain delay, which Röhl admitted almost saw the game abandoned. “We used the time effectively, immediately analysing the first 15 minutes and then getting right back into the game,” the Salzburg head coach said.

Juan Carlos Carcedo’s side, built around an experienced core with an average age of 28, have won just four of 13 European away games across UEFA’s three club competitions — a record they must now overturn at home. Their style relies on off-the-ball organisation and rapid counter-attacks, an approach that troubled the Salzburg backline in spells during the first meeting.

Key Battle: Salzburg’s High Press vs Pafos’s Transition Game

Salzburg’s identity under Röhl remains their relentless pressing and high tempo without the ball. The Austrians look to suffocate opponents from the opening whistle, creating turnovers in dangerous areas and feeding their wide players early. Bartosz Mazurek, Dominik Schmid and Tabakovic were added this summer to refresh a squad that underwent significant close-season change, yet there are concerns over a defensive unit still finding cohesion — a vulnerability Pafos will target on the break.

Pafos midfielder Domingos Quina lasted just 42 minutes in the first leg before a knock forced his withdrawal, and his availability for the return could shape how effectively the hosts transition from defence to attack. Salzburg captain Nikolas Veratschnig described the opening encounter as “a tough battle” and stressed the visitors would fly to Cyprus “with our heads held high,” but Carcedo’s side have already shown in qualifying that they can absorb pressure and exploit spaces.

The winner of this tie advances to the Europa League playoff round, where a place in the league phase awaits. Salzburg arrive with momentum from two wins and an 8-1 aggregate scoreline across domestic competitions; Pafos need their most complete European performance of the summer to flip the script.