Prediction Pafos FC vs Ethnikos Achna 2025/2026 – Betting Tips for the 1. Division on 17/10/2025

Match preview: Paphos fortress meets an in-form challenger

Pafos FC welcome Ethnikos Achna to Stadio Stelios Kyriakides on 17 October in what looks set to be a compelling chapter of this Cypriot 1. Division campaign. Pafos arrive perched at the summit, six matches yielding 15 points and an attacking ledger of 12 goals scored to just 4 conceded. That prosperity has been built on high-volume attacking play — 67 total shots so far and an average of nearly 98 attacks per match — and it has translated into consistent results: five wins and a single loss in the regular season to date. Home form has been solid, too, with three clean sheets and a knack for finding the net that keeps the crowd on Leoforos Dimokratías believing.

Ethnikos Achna, sitting fifth with 11 points from six games, are no pushovers. Their recent run features wins against Krasava ENY Ypsonas FC and Anorthosis and a battling draw with AEL, producing five wins, two draws and three losses across the latest reported form sample. The away side’s goalscoring is respectable — seven strikes so far — and they have shown a capacity to grind out results in tight affairs, as evidenced by a 1-0 victory in their most recent outing. Ethnikos bring an industrious defensive record away from home in patches, and they’ve matched Pafos with three clean sheets themselves.

Tactical glance and recent narratives

Statistically, Pafos boasts more offensive firepower: more shots (67 to Ethnikos’s 56), more shots on target (34 to 21) and a higher rate of dangerous attacks (59.5 versus 46). Ethnikos compensate with discipline and efficiency; their corners average is marginally higher and they have shown the ability to keep games low-scoring when required. The last head-to-head between these clubs ended 0-0 earlier in the year, but that stalemate feels like a snapshot rather than a prediction — Pafos have been more prolific this season and their recent 4-2 triumph over AEK Larnaca highlights a squad confident in transition and finishing. Domingos Quina was the standout in that Pafos win, while Emmanuel Lomotey was flagged as Ethnikos’s best performer in their latest victory.

Given the gulf at the summit and the attacking trend Pafos have established at home, they carry the momentum and the statistical edge. Ethnikos will make this competitive — they can frustrate — but the balance of evidence points to a home success.

Betting suggestion For a single clean market pick based on the form and underlying numbers, Pafos FC to win (1) is the preferred selection. It captures the home side’s superior attacking numbers, table position and recent winning rhythm while acknowledging Ethnikos’s resilience; backing the hosts offers value in this matchup.