Preview: Anorthosis Famagusta vs. Rapid Vienna - prediction, team news, lineups

Anorthosis Famagusta have it all to do on Thursday evening in the second leg of their Europa League third qualifying round tie with Rapid Vienna.

The Cypriot side fell to a 3-0 loss in last week's first leg and now require something close to a miracle at the Antonis Papadopoulos if they are to stay in the competition.

Match preview

© Reuters

Rapid would have had their sights set on qualifying for the Champions League, but their hopes of doing so were ended by Sparta Prague in the second qualifying round.

Instead, Dietmar Kuhbauer is now relying on the Europa League for their European fix this season, with Zorya Luhansk awaiting in the playoff round.

The Austrian side must first complete the job against Famagusta, but they will certainly fancy their chances of doing exactly that should their recent form by anything to go by.

Rapid followed up their 3-0 win in last week's fixture with a victory by the same scoreline against Wolfsberger in the Austrian Bundesliga at the weekend.

With a return of one win, one draw and one defeat from their opening three games, the Green-Whites are sixth in the table and looking up rather than down.

The hosts have yet to begin their domestic league campaign, meaning that they have had a full week to stew on the heavy loss to Rapid.

Ercan Kara gave Rapid a first-half lead at the Allianz Stadion and Anorthosis could not stem the tide, with further goals from Taxiarchis Fountas and Marco Grull following.

The Blue & White have had to deal with the loss of some key players over the summer, so it is perhaps no surprise that Temur Ketsbaia's men were so soundly beaten.

However, Anorthosis do at least have the safety net of the Europa Conference League, which they will enter at the final qualifying round should they indeed lose to Rapid.

Team News

Rapid boss Kuhbauer is unlikely to make many changes from the first-leg win, even if his side do have a three-goal cushion.

Fountas and Kara justified their selection up top by both getting on the scoresheet, though Oliver Strunz will be eager for a start on Thursday.

Lukas Sulzbacher and Lion Schuster were also used as substitutes in the first leg and may come into Kuhbauer's thoughts here.

As for Anorthosis, Ketsbaia may look to change things slightly in attack with his side in need of at least three goals.

Goalkeeper Assaf Tzur had to be replaced in the first leg, meanwhile, so Giorgi Loria is in line for a recall.

Anorthosis Famagusta possible starting lineup:
Loria; Korrea, Arajuuri, Antoniadis, Correia; Ioannou, Artymatas, Husbauer; Kaltsas, Lafferty, Christodoulopoulos

Rapid Vienna possible starting lineup:
Strebinger; Schick, Greiml, Hofmann, Ullmann; Arase, Knasmullner, Grahovac, Grull; Kara, Fountas

We say: Anorthosis Famagusta 1-3 Rapid Vienna (Rapid win 6-1 on aggregate)

All the hard work was done in the first leg for Rapid, who barring a calamitous collapse in Cyprus on Thursday will be one step away from the Europa League group stage.

An early goal for Famagusta may make things interesting, but we cannot see them keeping their opponents quiet in what should be a routine away win.