PAOK vs Anderlecht: Europa League 3rd Qualifying Round
The 2026-27 UEFA Europa League qualifying campaign reaches a critical juncture on August 6 as PAOK host Anderlecht in the first leg of their 3rd Qualifying Round tie. With a place in the Play-off round at stake, the Greek side enter the contest buoyed by a comprehensive aggregate victory over Dynamo Kyiv in the previous stage.
The match will be played at PAOK's usual home ground, where the atmosphere is expected to be typically fervent. The return leg is scheduled for Belgium a week later, leaving both sides with everything to play for.
PAOK Form Guide and European Progress
Razvan Lucescu's side navigated the second qualifying round with authority, following a 3-2 away victory over Dynamo Kyiv with a 2-0 home success to seal a 5-2 aggregate progression. The star of that second leg was Giannis Konstantelias, who according to local reports delivered a "superb" individual display.
Konstantelias opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time and struck again three minutes after the restart, effectively ending Dynamo's resistance. Those goals added to an already productive European campaign for the Thessaloniki club, who finished their domestic 2025-26 Greek Super League playoff round with a series of hard-fought draws against Panathinaikos, AEK Athens, and Olympiacos.