Crvena zvezda (Srb) vs Pafos (Cyp) prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Qualification betting tips on match 2025-08-18 19:00.
[p]Serbian champions and European regulars Red Star Belgrade welcome Cypriot counterparts Pafos for the first leg of this UEFA Champions League (UCL) play-off.[/p]
[p]Match News and Current Form[/p]
[p]After winning their eighth consecutive Serbian title in 2024/25, Red Star have begun the new season in equally impressive fashion, winning all four league outings while coming through two UCL ties to reach this stage. While Red Star would end up in the Europa League with defeat, they could secure passage to the UCL proper for a third straight season for the first time should they navigate this tie successfully. Social unrest across Serbia could possibly threaten this fixture, as violent scenes were widespread in Belgrade over the weekend. [/p]
[p]Cypriot champions for the very first time in 2024/25, this is Pafos’ second involvement in any UEFA competition after reaching the last 16 of the UEFA Conference League last term. Yet to begin their domestic campaign, the unfancied visitors will seek to defy the odds once again after overturning their outsider status in both previous ties against seasoned European participants Dynamo Kyiv and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Both of those ties produced 1-0 wins in the respective away leg, and a repeat of such would put Pafos on the precipice of becoming just the third Cypriot side to reach the UCL proper. [/p]
[p]Head-to-Head History[/p]
[p]Pafos have never previously faced Serbian opponents, while Red Star have faced Cypriot sides on nine previous occasions without ever losing in regulation time (W3, D6). Red Star were, however, knocked out of UCL qualifying after a penalty shootout against Omonia in 2020/21.[/p]
[p]Hot Stats and Streaks[/p]
[p]Red Star have scored the opening goal in all four of their UCL games this season. [/p]
[p]Only two sides have had more shots on target in UCL qualifying than Red Star’s 29.[/p]
[p]Pafos averaged exactly three yellow cards per match across their UCL matches this season.[/p]
[p]Pafos are unbeaten in 12 of their last 15 European matches (W9, D3). [/p]
[p]Key Players to Watch and Missing Players[/p]
[p]Bruno Duarte has scored three of his five goals for Red Star this season in the UCL, although only one of those five strikes served to open the scoring. João Correia has found himself involved in one way or another in all of Pafos’ games on the way here, as he directly contributed to goals in both legs against Dynamo Kyiv (G1, A1) after being booked in both games against Maccabi Tel Aviv. [/p]
[p]Both sides are expected to remain without any major absences ahead of this fixture. [/p]
[p]Betting Analysis[/p]
[p]Given what is at stake and Pafos’ tendency to keep it tight so far in qualifying, this may be a cagey first leg, so the value may lie in under 2.5 match goals. [/p]
[p][i]Author: Matthew Billon[/i][/p]