Celje vs. Slovan Bratislava – News and Probable Lineups

With the two teams level after the first leg last week, Celje and Slovan Bratislava are set to meet again on Wednesday night to finalize their Champions League playoff.

Guided by 2009 champion Yaya Toure, Slovan couldn’t capitalize on their home advantage and now face the challenge of overcoming the hosts in Eslovênia.

Match overview

Having battled through two previous rounds of qualifying, both clubs were just one step away from the group stage when they began this matchup last Wednesday.

Celje fell behind in Bratislava after Slovan debutant Roman Cerepkai scored first for the hosts, but Milot Avdyli quickly equalized with a superb curled shot.

As they prepare for the home leg at Stadion Z’dezele, the prospect of a first Champions League qualification remains firmly in the sights of the Eslovênian club.

This year they have already achieved their longest run in qualifying for UEFA’s premier competition, having previously suffered two defeats in round two, the last being a 6-1 aggregate loss to Slovan in 2024.

Having clinched the PrvaLiga title last season, Celje commenced their campaign with a penalty shootout victory against Albanian side Egnatia, followed by a thrilling 3-2 win over Ararat-Armênia in the third round.

Currently, Vitor Campelos and his team are just one victory away from becoming only the second Eslovênian club, after Maribor, to reach the Champions League group stage.

While Celje’s domestic match was postponed to support their Champions League aspirations, Slovan returned to play over the weekend, edging past FC Kosice with a 2-1 victory on Saturday.

This result kept their perfect league record intact – four wins from four matches thus far – and the Sky Blues currently top the Eslováquia Super Liga.

After reclaiming the domestic championship last season, Slovan appointed Toure, whose team overcame Iberia Tbilisi 3-1 on aggregate in their initial qualifier.

They then surprised many by knocking out Swedish champions Mjallby in round three, before allowing a crucial home lead to slip in this playoff.

Despite this, they are still in contention for a return to the group stage, having placed 35th out of 36 teams in 2024.

With a record of seven victories and two draws under their former Barcelona star coach Toure, the Sky Blues should head to Eslovênia with confidence.

Team News

Mario Kvesic has scored four times in five qualifiers so far and is considered a significant threat for Celje on Wednesday.

He will likely be supporting Armandas Kucys in the attack, and Kvesic also provided the assist for Avdyli’s equalizer last week. Veteran winger Benjamin Verbic, who recently returned to his boyhood club after a decade, may have to settle for a spot on the bench.

A promising talent for the Australia U23 team, Yaya Dukuly found the net in their previous league fixture and scored a critical late goal against Ararat in round three, although he is more likely to be used as a substitute.

For Slovan, new addition Cerepkai is expected to spearhead the visitor’s attack, as experienced Eslovênian forward Andraz Sporar has just recovered from injury.

Forward Mykola Kukharevych (hamstring) remains uncertain, but Toure has a range of options to choose from after rotating his squad significantly over the weekend.

Tigran Barseghyan played a role in Cerepkai’s goal in the first leg, while the Armenian winger scored the final goal against Celje when these teams met in 2024; Suleiman Camara, who joined Slovan earlier this month, has netted in two of their last three qualifiers.

Celje probable starting XI:

Lebanon; Sirvys, Hrka, Tutyskinias, Avdyli; Daniel, Zabukovnik; Ivansek, Seslar, Kvesic; Kucys

Slovan Bratislava probable starting XI:

Takac; Blackman, Bajric, Markovic, Cruz; Ibrahim, Pokorny, Martínez; Barseghyan, Cerepkai, Camara

Celje have established themselves as formidable contenders in Champions League qualifying, suggesting they could challenge Slovan strongly in this closely matched playoff. However, heartbreak may still await them, as the visitors carry more experience and squad depth.

Even should they falter, a ticket to the Europa League would serve as some consolation: while Celje have participated in the Conference League, they have yet to appear in either of UEFA’s premier competitions.