Pafos vs Slavia Prague Prediction: Cypriots to take advantage of Czeched-out visitors

Having failed to win any of their first seven Uefa Champions League games (D3, L4), Slavia Prague are out of contention to finish in the top 24, and heading into their final league-phase fixture against Pafos on Wednesday (20:00 GMT, Discovery+), their only aim is to avoid finishing bottom.

Pafos, meanwhile, can still qualify for the knockout phase play-offs, but must win at Alphamega Stadium and hope other results go their way. Below are my Pafos vs Slavia Prague predictions, alongside team news and match odds, for this midweek meeting in Limassol, Cyprus.

Sports Welcome Offer

New customers only. Deposit via Debit Card & place first bet £10+ (1/1+) on Sports in 7 days. £30 Sports & £20 Acca Free Bets within 10 hrs of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment excl. & T&Cs Apply.

Sports Welcome Offer

New customers only. Deposit via Debit Card & place first bet £10+ (1/1+) on Sports in 7 days. £30 Sports & £20 Acca Free Bets within 10 hrs of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment excl. & T&Cs Apply.

Team News

Bosnian midfielder Ivan Sunjic is suspended for Pafos after picking up his third yellow card of the league-phase campaign in last week's 1-0 loss at Chelsea.

Former Blues defender David Luiz (muscle) remains doubtful for Juan Carlos Carcedo's side, as are Joao Correia and Goldar (both muscle).

Football Odds

Slavia Prague head coach Jindrich Trpisovsky heads to Cyprus without a long list of players, including Dominik Javorcek, Petr Sevcik (both knee), Ondrej Zmrzly (ineligible), Alexandr Buzek (thigh), Tomas Holes and David Moses (both unspecified).

Pafos vs Slavia Prague Odds

Despite playing away from their Stelios Kyriakides Stadium, Pafos have lost just one of their three home games, collecting four points from their last two against Villarreal (1-0) and AS Monaco (2-2).

The Cypriot side are 5/4 favourites to win on Wednesday, implying a 44.4% probability of success, while Slavia Prague are 21/10, or a 32.3% chance, to triumph on their European travels for the first time this term.

The draw, meanwhile, is offered at 12/5, and BTTS-No, a winning selection in five of Pafos’ and Slavia Prague’s league-phase games, is priced at 11/10.

To Win to Nil - Pafos @ 11/4

I wonder just how motivated Slavia’s players will be for this game.

Of course, the Czech side won’t want to finish bottom of the pile, and they’ll at least want to finish their European campaign with one win, but in the grand scheme of things, it matters very little.

This is a meeting of the two lowest-scoring teams, with both netting just four times in the league phase, but all four of Slavia’s goals have come in Prague, while all four of Pafos’ have come in Limassol.

Today's Football Fixtures

Slavia held Atalanta to a goalless draw in Bergamo, but either side of that Italian stalemate were 3-0 defeats to Inter in Milan and Tottenham Hotspur in London.

Pafos still have a lot to play for, so they will be going for the win on Wednesday, and having kept three clean sheets in the league phase, they know that they have the tools to grab a goal and set up shop, so a home win to nil takes my fancy here at 11/4.

Team With Most Booking Points - Pafos @ 7/4

Pafos (14) have picked up fewer yellow cards than Slavia (15), but the Cypriots have collected a couple of red cards, while their Czech counterparts are yet to have a player dismissed.

Slavia have seen their opponents receive the most booking points in six of their seven games, and last time out against FC Barcelona, they didn’t pick up a single card.

Pafos, meanwhile, have received the most booking points in four of their seven matches, including last time out at Chelsea.

Considering Pafos have everything to play for, and Slavia very little, backing the hosts in the Team With Most Booking Points market makes a lot of sense to me at 7/4.

Turbo Boost

Votes placed & calculated via @Betfred (X). Available from two hours before kick-off. Singles only. Max Stakes Vary. T&Cs Apply.

Sports Welcome Offer

New customers only. Deposit via Debit Card & place first bet £10+ (1/1+) on Sports in 7 days. £30 Sports & £20 Acca Free Bets within 10 hrs of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment excl. & T&Cs Apply.

Opt in & build your own Bet Builder (3/1+) of 3+ legs on any Champions League match on Wednesday and get a 50% cash Winnings Bonus if your bet wins!

Get Turbo Boosted odds on the Champions League! (Available from 12:00 28/01)