Paphos vs Salzburg – News and Probable Lineups

Red Bull Salzburg will visit Chipre for the Europa League qualifying match against Pafos at the Alphamega Stadium this Thursday.

The Austrians enter the second leg of the third-round qualifying tie holding a slim advantage after securing a 1-0 win on their home ground last week.

Match overview

Pafos is aiming to secure a spot in the main draw of a European competition for the third year in a row, following their appearances in the Conference League in 2024-25 and the Champions League in 2025-26.

The Cypriots kicked off their latest European campaign with a thrilling 4-2 aggregate victory over Hajduk Split, bouncing back from a two-goal deficit in the first leg to clinch a 4-0 extra-time triumph at home.

Ricardo Sa Pinto’s team will need to perform yet another remarkable comeback if they wish to progress to the playoff round after conceding late in a 1-0 defeat to Salzburg last week.

The return fixture is set to take place at the Alphamega Stadium in Limassol because their usual home venue, the Stelios Kyriakides Stadium, does not meet UEFA standards.

Nonetheless, they can draw confidence from their strong record at home in Europe, having won eight of their last 12 matches in Chipre (D3, L1), with their sole loss during this stretch occurring against Bayern Munich in last season’s Champions League group stage.

Should Pafos overturn the tie, they will face Mjallby, but if they fail, they will fall back into the Conference League playoff round against Auda or Dinamo City.

In contrast, Salzburg have begun their Europa League journey in the third qualifying round following a third-place finish in the Austrian Bundesliga last season.

Danny Rohl, who assumed control ahead of the current campaign, had to await the decisive goal in his debut European match as Salzburg’s head coach, with new addition Haris Tabakovic coming off the bench to score an 88th-minute winner in a 1-0 result.

Unsurprisingly, Rohl made multiple changes for Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Wolfsberger in the league.

While they couldn’t secure all three points, Yorbe Vertessen’s equalizer in the 79th minute extended Salzburg’s unbeaten start to the season to four competitive fixtures (W3, D1).

The Red Bulls will now travel to Chipre for the second leg after the scheduling change due to Salzburg’s Red Bull Arena hosting Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup between PSG and Aston Villa.

Missing the home advantage in the return leg could be significant, as Salzburg has suffered defeats in eight of their last ten European away matches (W2).

Team News

Pafos may be without Domingos Quina, who had to leave the field late in the first half in Austria.

Sema came on as Quina’s substitute, but he will miss the second leg after being shown a red card in the 93rd minute for two yellow card offenses.

The hosts are also without goalkeeper Charalambos Kyriakidis and forward Jaja due to injuries.

For the visitors, forward Enrique Aguilar is not available for selection following an arm injury sustained in the first leg.

Soumaila Diabate, Edmund Baidoo, and Gaoussou Diakite are all working to recover from injuries in time for the second leg.

Tabakovic could take the lead in the attack after making his first start for Salzburg in the league draw against Wolfsberger on Sunday.

Pafos FC probable starting XI:

Majecki; Brito, Goldar, Luiz, Ioannou; Dragomir, Sunjic, Guga; Mammadov, Biel, Lele

Red Bull Salzburg probable starting XI:

Zawieschitzky; Veratschnig, Boma, Zabransky, Schmid; Diabate, Barry; Baidoo, Diakhite, Redzic; Tabakovic

Historically, Salzburg has faced challenges during away fixtures in Europe, with most of their recent defeats occurring in the main draw rather than in the qualifying rounds.

Considering this context, it appears that the Austrian team, still unbeaten this season, will likely manage to secure at least a draw against Pafos to proceed to the Europa League playoff stage.