Pafos vs Elfsborg Prediction 18.07.2024 | Europa League

• Competition: UEFA Europa League Qualifying - First Round 2nd leg
• Date: Wednesday, 18th, July 2024
• Kickoff: 17:00 UK / 18.00 CEST
• Venue: Alphamega Stadium (Kolossi)

Pafos FC will look to pull off a miraculous performance when they host Elfsborg to the Stelios Kyriakides Stadium on Wednesday night for the second leg of their first-round Europa League qualifying clash.

Pafos FC couldn't have celebrated their 10-year anniversary in a better way this year, as they thrashed Omonia Nicosia 3-0 in the Cyprus Cup final in mid-May to claim their first trophy in the club's history. As a result of that perfect success, Juan Carlos Carcedo's chosen ones secured their inaugural appearance in the qualifying rounds of the Europa League, and they will be eager to emulate the achievements of APOEL Nicosia in reaching the main draw of a UEFA competition.

While the Cypriot outfit is yet to kick off their league duties for the new Cyta Championship campaign, IF Elfsborg is in the midst of a full swing Allsvenskan season, making them physically better prepared than Pafos. However, Di Gule's mission to replicate last year's runner-up finish, which secured their spot in the Europa League qualifiers, is proving to be an uphill battle as they currently sit in fifth position with a modest haul of 22 points, trailing Djurgarden in second by nine points and having played one more match.

Pafos vs Elfsborg Betting Tips: BTTS

Despite putting one foot in the next round of the Europa League qualifiers, courtesy of a three-goal demolition of the Cypriot club at their Boras Arena home, Elfsborg will face more work ahead as Paphos FC are not willing to give up just yet. On paper, both teams are evenly matches in terms of quality, but the Swedish outfit boasts a significantly stronger European pedigree, which they demonstrated in the first leg. Anyway, it's expected to be a thrilling and goal-filled affair as the first-leg debacle forces Pafos FC to go all-out on the attack this Wednesday in a bid to engineer one of the greatest comebacks ever seen. 

Conversely, such an open style of play could prove costly for Carcedo's men, especially considering their opponent Eflsborg's potent threat in front of goal, as demonstrated last weekend when they executed a memorable comeback by scoring three late goals to overturn Hacken in an eight-goal thriller (5-3). With a spectacular blitzkrieg on Sunday, De Guel have now scored 3+ goals in three straight outings across all competitions, and they'll be hoping their brilliance in front of goal continues as they try to wound the Cypriots on the counter-attack. Even if Pafos fails to overturn Elfsborg's huge lead, we believe they possess enough firepower upfront to get their name on the scoresheet, making "Both Teams to Score" our primary choice.