The match of round 8 of the group stage of the Europa League 2025/26 between Panathinaikos (Greece) and Roma (Italy) will take place on 29 january at Spiros Louis Stadium in Athens. Panathinaikos vs Roma: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Panathinaikos
In the last round Panathinaikos snatched a point late in an away game with Ferencváros (1:1). That draw proved very valuable, because it extended the home team's unbeaten run in the Europa League to four matches (2 wins, 2 draws). Most importantly, the club is now guaranteed not to drop out of the playoff qualification zone. The chances of a direct place in the round of 16 are close to zero, as the club is 19th in the table and trails 8th place by 3 points. Nevertheless the team may find motivation in earning extra prize money and in avoiding a very tough opponent in the first playoff round.
- Panathinaikos have conceded in 5 of their last 7 Europa League matches.
- The club have covered the +1.5 handicap in 12 consecutive home matches in this competition.
- The home side have failed to score more than one goal in 5 of their last 6 Europa League meetings.
Potential Panathinaikos Lineup
Alban Lafont – Davide Calabria, Tin Jedvaj, Giannis Kotsiras, Ahmed Tuba – Facundo Pellistri, Pedro Chirivella, Adam Gnezda-Cerin, Anass Zaroury – Tete, Anastasios Bakasetas.
Midfielder Georgios Kiriopoulos and forward Cyriel Dessers will miss the match due to injuries.
Roma
Roma had some problems at the start of the group stage, but the club now have a current run of four wins in the Europa League. Overall Roma have won 5 of their 7 matches since the beginning of the current tournament season. Last Thursday the team beat Stuttgart (2:0), which secured qualification for the playoffs and moved the club up to 6th place in the table. Theoretically the club can remain inside the top eight even in case of defeat, but the gap to 9th place is only 1 point, so relying on rivals slipping up would be reckless. If Roma win, they will definitely qualify for the round of 16 without playoffs.
- The visitors have scored in 5 consecutive Europa League games.
- Roma's uncompromising run in this European competition spans 10 matches (7 wins, 3 losses).
- Roma have conceded in 8 of their last 10 away matches in the Europa League.
Potential Roma Lineup
Mile Svilar – Zeki Celik, Jan Zelkowski, Daniele Ghilardi – Devyne Rensch, Kostas Tsimikas, Kouadio Kone, Nicolò Pisilli – Lorenzo Pellegrini, Matias Soule, Evan Ferguson.
Defenders Angeliño and Mario Hermoso, midfielder Kouadio Kone, and forwards Stephan El Shaarawy and Artem Dovbyk will miss the match due to injuries.
Referee
Juan Martinez Munuera (Spain)
Matches – 6 (International matches, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellow/red cards (including second yellows) – 28;
Average yellow/red cards per match – 4.7;
Sent off (red cards) – 1;
Fouls per match – 26;
Penalties – 17%.
Panathinaikos vs Roma: Match Prediction
Panathinaikos traditionally fights hard against any opponent, and after two October defeats the club has not lost in four Europa League matches. However, across the last six rounds the team collected only two wins, and those victories came against Sturm and Malmö from the bottom of the table — and even in those matches the margin was narrow. The club already shows only modest attacking output: six goals in the last six Europa League games, and there is essentially no need to push forward now, because regardless of the outcome Panathinaikos will remain in the playoff zone. At the same time the team has improved defensively and conceded only two goals in the previous four Europa League rounds.
Roma are aiming to secure a top-eight position, which ideally requires a win. The Italians previously won four Europa League matches in a row, and over seven rounds this season the club have dropped points only twice. It is important to add that both point losses occurred at home; the visitors have been flawless away so far. Europa League matches involving Roma tend to be lively and often finish with goals, but in all seven recent appearances in this competition the club's matches have produced no more than three goals.
Prediction – Roma win or draw + total under 3.5
Prediction: Roma Win Or Draw + Total Under 3.5
* The starting lineup listed for each team is the one used in their previous match in this competition.
