The first leg of the 2024/25 Conference League playoff between Celje (Slovenia) and APOEL (Cyprus) will take place on February 13 at the Celje Stadium. Celje vs. APOEL: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Celje
In their second season in the Conference League, the Slovenians managed to advance from the group stage. Albert Riera's side did not lose in 3 of their 6 matches (2 wins, 1 draw) and ultimately finished in 21st place. Notably, Celje was among the six teams that conceded in every match during the main stage. In the previous tournament, the club failed to reach the main round.
Head coach Albert Riera is suspended for the upcoming match.
- At least three goals have been scored in 6 of Celje's last 7 Conference League games.
- The team is unbeaten in their last 6 home matches in the Conference League (4 wins, 2 draws).
- Celje opened the scoring in 6 of their last 7 home games in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Celje (4-5-1)
Matej Rozman – David Zec, Klemen Nemanič, Žan Karničnik, Juanjo Nieto – Marko Dulka, Svit Sešlar, Tamar Svetlin, Mark Zabukovnik, Klemen Lernau – Edmilson Filho.
APOEL
The Cypriots navigated the main stage more confidently than their closest opponent. The team suffered only one defeat (3 wins, 2 draws) and finished in 11th place. Manolo Jiménez's side demonstrated excellent defensive play, conceding only 5 goals, the lowest tally among all teams. In the previous European campaign, the club fell just short of reaching the group stage.
Midfielder Giannis Satsias will miss the match due to suspension. Defender Radosav Petrovic and midfielder Kingsley Sarfo are injured.
- The islanders have scored in 6 of their last 7 Conference League matches.
- The Cypriots are unbeaten in 5 of their last 6 away games in the Conference League (4 wins, 1 draw).
- APOEL has not conceded more than one goal in 7 of their last 9 away games in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for APOEL (5-3-2)
Vid Belec – Konstantinos Laifis, Issam Chebake, Javi Quintilla, David Abagna, Radosav Petrovic – Georgi Kostadinov, Diumerci Ndongala, Sergio Tejera – Anastasios Donis, Youssef El Arabi.
Referee
Nikolai Balakin (Ukraine)
Matches – 7 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 22;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.1;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 29%.
Celje vs. APOEL: Match Prediction
The Slovenians have been the highest-scoring team among all playoff participants. Albert Riera's side netted 13 goals, failing to score only in the away match against Pafos. However, Celje also conceded as many goals, with only four clubs having a worse defensive record. High-scoring games are typical for the Slovenians in the Conference League, especially at home, with both teams scoring in five consecutive matches.
The few goals conceded by the Cypriots should not be misleading. During the group stage, Manolo Jiménez's team managed only one clean sheet. Moreover, APOEL failed to keep a clean sheet in 5 of their last 7 away games in the Conference League. Although they score modestly, the team finds the net regularly. In the main round of this tournament, the club had only one match without scoring, and they have scored in 5 of their last 6 away matches in the Conference League.
My prediction: Both teams to score – yes
