The second leg of the 2025/26 Conference League round of 16 tie between AEK Athens (Greece) and Celje (Slovenia) will take place on 19 March at the AEK Arena. The score in the first leg was 4:0 in favour of AEK Athens. AEK Athens vs Celje: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
AEK Athens
After thrashing Celje in Slovenia, AEK Athens have now recorded a fourth consecutive win in the Conference League. Their unbeaten run in this competition has stretched to six matches (five wins, one draw). Overall, since the start of this European campaign, the Greeks have suffered just one defeat in 13 matches, and that sole loss came away to Celje in the league phase (1:3). It is also worth noting that the club have scored in 11 straight Conference League matches, but have managed to keep a clean sheet only four times during that scoring run.
- At least two goals have been scored in 10 of the Greeks’ last 11 Conference League matches.
- The team have not lost in 90 minutes in any of their previous nine home games in this competition (eight wins, one draw).
- AEK Athens have scored at least two goals in four of their last five home matches in the Conference League.
Potential AEK Athens Lineup (4-4-2)*
Thomas Strakosha – Harold Moukoudi, Lazaros Rota, Stavros Pliios, Filipe Relvas – Mijat Gacinovic, Orbelin Pineda, Razvan Marin, Aboubakary Koita – Barnabas Varga, Luka Jovic.
Celje
Last week, the club saw their three-match unbeaten run in the Conference League come to an end (two wins, one draw). Celje have now picked up just two wins in their last six matches in this competition. Notably, the team have failed to keep a clean sheet in six of their last seven European outings, although conceding four goals on the continental stage for the first time since August – when they lost to Lugano in Conference League qualifying (2:4). Celje now need to win by a margin of at least four goals, and in this European campaign the club have only one such example – a 5:0 thrashing in another qualifier against the same opponents, Lugano.
- The club have scored in eight of their previous nine away games in the Conference League.
- The Slovenians have avoided defeat in five of their last seven away matches in this competition (four wins, one draw).
- Celje have won with a (+1.5) handicap in nine of their previous 11 Conference League matches.
Potential Celje Lineup (4-3-3)*
Jean-Luc Leban – Juanjo Nieto, Lukas Bejger, Artemiy Tutyshkin, Zan Karnicnik – Darko Hrka, Mario Kvesic, Svit Seslar – Rudi Vancas, Nikita Iosifov, Armadas Kucys.
Referee
Simone Sozza (Italy)
Matches – 8 (international matches, 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 27;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.4;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 50%.
AEK Athens vs Celje: Match Prediction
The first meeting delivered plenty of goals, even if all of them came from one team. With the outcome of the tie all but decided, the opponents can now play with freedom, without fear of making a mistake. As a result, we should see open football. AEK Athens tend to serve up entertaining matches in general, and only two of the club’s last seven Conference League games have been low-scoring.
Since reaching the play-offs, Celje have stood out not just for high-scoring matches, but for the fact that in each of the team’s last three games at least four goals have been scored. The three-goal mark has not been reached in only one of the Slovenians’ last seven European matches. If we look at their record away from home, in six of Celje’s last eight Conference League matches we have also seen at least three goals.
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals
* For each team, the starting lineup from their most recent match in this competition is listed.
