Pafos - Salzburg PREVIEW 13.08.2026

FC Red Bull Salzburg holds a narrow 1-0 lead against Pafos FC heading into the second leg of their UEFA Europa League third qualifying round matchup. Note that despite your query mentioning the Champions League, this tie is officially taking place in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers. The second leg is scheduled for Thursday, August 13, 2026, at the Alphamega Stadium in Limassol, Cyprus. The opening leg at the Red Bull Arena was tightly contested and delayed by heavy rain. FC Salzburg managed to secure a slim victory via an 88th-minute strike from substitute striker Haris Tabaković. In a crucial schedule shift, the initial venues were swapped. Salzburg had to host the first leg because their home ground, Red Bull Arena, is hosting the blockbuster UEFA Super Cup match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa. Losing home advantage for the decisive second leg could heavily impact Salzburg, given their poor traveling record. Pafos is historically formidable on Cypriot soil, boasting an active three-game competitive home winning streak with an aggregate scoreline of 8-0. In stark contrast, Salzburg enters this fixture having lost 8 of their last 10 European away matches.

Ricardo Sá Pinto’s side will lean on an experienced defensive back-three consisting of former Champions League winner David Luiz, David Goldar, and Nicholas Ioannou. Influential winger Jaja remains out with an ACL injury. Midfielder Ken Sema is suspended following a late red card in the first leg. Newly signed attacker Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu is not eligible to play in this round.

Manager Julian Schuster will have to carefully manage a squad that played to a 1-1 domestic draw against Wolfsberger over the weekend. The first leg proved costly for the Austrians. Attacker Enrique Aguilar (forearm injury), alongside midfielders Soumaïla Diabaté and Gaoussou Diakité (both thigh injuries), have been ruled out. Johannes Moser is also sidelined. First-leg hero Haris Tabaković and young star forward Karim Konaté are both pushing to lead the line from the opening whistle.

Prediction: OVER 2.5 GOALS @ 1.85