Celje vs AEK Athens – News and Probable Lineups

On Thursday evening, NK Celje is set to host AEK Athens at the Stadion Z’dezele for the first leg of their UEFA Conference League round of 16 tie.

The Counts advanced to this stage after defeating FC Drita 6-4 on aggregate in the playoff round, while the Double-Headed Eagle secured automatic qualification by finishing third in the league phase.

Match overview

Following a 3-2 victory over Kosovan team Drita in both legs of their playoff clash, Celje will aim to build on last season’s success in the round of 16 against Lugano and seek a place in consecutive Conference League quarter-finals.

Although they suffered a 2-1 loss against Aluminij last Thursday, marking their first consecutive league defeats of the season, Ivan Mayeuski’s squad still maintains a five-point lead at the top of the Prva League table, along with a game in hand over second-placed Koper.

The Slovenian team has greatly benefited from a stellar home record, remaining undefeated in their last four matches at the Stadion Z’dezele and netting 15 goals across their last five games at the venue in all competitions.

As the only team to have beaten AEK Athens during the league phase, with a 3-1 victory at home back in October, the Counts are sure to be confident as they approach their second-ever meeting with the Greek outfit.

On the other hand, AEK Athens haven’t participated in a European knockout match since their exit in the 2017-18 UEFA Europa League, where they were eliminated in the round of 32 by Dynamo Kyiv. Nevertheless, they will arrive for Thursday’s first leg with a boost of confidence.

The Greek side emerged victorious in four of their six league phase matches, winning each of their last three, and will aim to progress further in this year’s competition.

AEK Athens has also performed exceptionally well domestically, losing just once in their last 23 matches across all competitions and remaining unbeaten in their last 11 on the road, winning eight of those matches, while they sit atop the Greek Super League.

With six clean sheets in their last eight encounters, AEK Athens will be hoping to rely on their solid defensive unit once again this Thursday against Celje, who handed the Double-Headed Eagle their only defeat in the last 12 European matches.

Team News

Although Celje’s Nino Vukasovic has been seen on the bench recently, he has not participated since December 7, with the club providing no clarification on his absence or a potential return date.

Additionally, defender Mark Zabukovnik is also unavailable, having not appeared since preseason due to a ruptured cruciate ligament.

The 25-year-old hopes to return before the end of the season, although that timeline remains uncertain.

AEK Athens defender Alexander Callens has been sidelined for over a year due to a heart condition and is currently undergoing medical assessment to determine when he might return.

Both Joao Mario and Hakim Sahabo are ineligible for Thursday’s fixture, having been signed on loan from Besiktas and Standard Liege respectively after the European squad registration deadline.

Danish midfielder Jens Jonsson will also miss this match due to a persistent back injury that has kept him out for most of the season.

Celje probable starting XI:

Lebanon; Juanjo Nieto, Vuklisevic, Hrka, Bejger; Seslar, Calusic, Kvesic; Pozeg, Kucys, Iosifov

AEK Athens probable starting XI:

Strakosha; Rota, Moukoudi, Relvas, Penrice; Marin, Pineda; Eliasson, Koita; Jovic, Varga

While we might not expect them to secure a victory, we believe AEK Athens’ unbeaten away streak will extend to 12 games on Thursday evening, resulting in a tightly contested draw at the Stadion Z’dezele.

Even though Celje managed to triumph earlier in the season, we think they will encounter a much tougher challenge this time, potentially resulting in a one-goal draw, setting the stage for an exciting second leg in the Greek capital next week.