PAOK to face Besiktas in Champions League second qualifying round
PAOK have been drawn against Besiktas in the second qualifying round of the 2020/2021 UEFA Champions League, with the match set to take place in Thessaloniki in late August.
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The Dikefalos tou Vorra will soon attempt to qualify for the group stage of the Champions League for the first time in history. After finishing in second place of the 2019/2020 Super League, PAOK earned a berth in the second qualifying round of the Champions League, with the Greeks subsequently being pitted against Besiktas in Monday’s draw. Viktoria Plzen and Rapid Vienna were the other two possible opponents for PAOK.
The game will be played at the Toumba Stadium on either the 25th of 26th of August. Unlike previous seasons, the first, second and third qualifying rounds of the Champions League will all be decided by one-legged ties as a consequence of the tight schedule.
Under normal circumstances, Besiktas wouldn’t have qualified for the Champions League after they claimed third position of the 2019/2020 Turkish Super Lig, but they were gifted a spot in Europe’s premier club competition as a result of Trabzonspor breaching Financial Fair Play regulations. Besiktas earned 62 points in 34 games.
Domagoj Vida, Jeremain Lens and Adem Ljajic, who scored seven goals and dished out seven assists across all competitions last season, are three of the most recognisable players on Besiktas’ roster. However, if reports from Turkey are to be believed, Besiktas are currently enduring financial hardship.
Last season, Besiktas were involved in the group phase of the UEFA Europa League, bowing out with disappointing results against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Braga and Slovan Bratislava. They have become Turkish champions on 15 occasions since being founded in 1903.
