The first leg of the 2024/25 UEFA Conference League Round of 16 between Panathinaikos (Greece) and Fiorentina (Italy) will be held on March 6 at the Spiros Louis Stadium in Athens. Panathinaikos vs. Fiorentina: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Panathinaikos
Rui Vitoria's side narrowly overcame Vikingur from Reykjavik in the playoff matches. After a 1-2 defeat away, Panathinaikos struggled to break through the Icelandic defense in the return leg at home but eventually secured a victory with two unanswered goals in the last 20 minutes. This win marked their fifth in the current Conference League, including qualifiers, with each victory achieved without conceding. Notably, the Greeks have taken the most corners in this tournament (57).
- The team has not lost in regular time in 5 of their last 6 home matches in the Conference League (4 wins, 1 draw).
- The club has kept a clean sheet in 4 of their last 5 home games in this competition.
- The Greeks have scored exactly one or two goals in regular time in 5 of their last 6 home matches in the Conference League.
Predicted lineup for Panathinaikos (4-3-3)
Bartlomiej Dragowski – Sverrir Ingi Ingason, Azzedine Ounahi, Giannis Kotsiras, Filip Mladenovic – Adam Gnezda-Cerin, Nemanja Maksimovic, Emmanouil Siopis – Martins Tete, Fotis Ioannidis, Filip Djuricic.
Defender Tin Jedvaj and Eric Palmer-Brown, as well as midfielders Anastasios Bakasetas and Facundo Pellistri, are sidelined due to injuries.
Fiorentina
Raffaele Palladino's side did not participate in the playoff matches. In the final round of the group stage, Fiorentina drew 1-1 with Vitoria Guimaraes away. As a result, the Italians have avoided defeat in regular time in 20 of their last 21 Conference League matches (10 wins, 10 draws). However, they have kept only two clean sheets in their last ten games in this competition. Fiorentina has demonstrated high scoring ability, netting 18 goals in the current Conference League, second only to Chelsea's 26.
- The team has not lost in regular time in 9 of their last 10 away matches in the Conference League (3 wins, 6 draws).
- No more than three goals have been scored in 90 minutes in 5 of Fiorentina's last 6 away games in the Conference League.
- The Italians have conceded in regular time in 7 of their last 8 away matches in this competition.
Predicted lineup for Fiorentina (4-3-3)
Pietro Terracciano – Fabiano Parisi, Pietro Comuzzo, Lucas Martinez Quarta, Dodo – Amir Richardson, Rolando Mandragora, Jonathan Ikone – Lucas Beltran, Albert Gudmundsson, Christian Kouame.
Midfielders Andrea Colpani, Michael Folorunsho, Yacine Adli, and Edoardo Bove, along with forward Moise Kean, are out due to injuries.
Referee
Erik Lambrechts (Belgium)
Matches – 7 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 23;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.3;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 14%.
Panathinaikos vs. Fiorentina: Match Prediction
Greek clubs in European competitions often rely on home support to achieve positive results. Panathinaikos has played six home matches in the Conference League and suffered only one defeat, against a strong Chelsea side. The club secured four victories, each time managing to keep a clean sheet.
Fiorentina did not face significant challenges in the group stage, but their away results were less impressive, with a loss to APOEL (1-2) and a draw with Vitoria Guimaraes (1-1). They managed to win away only against St. Gallen, who did not even reach the playoffs. Additionally, Raffaele Palladino's team has won just one of their last six away matches in Serie A, suffering four defeats in this period.
I believe the hosts can challenge the Italians and contend for a positive result in this encounter. My prediction: Panathinaikos to win or draw
