The second leg of the 2024/25 UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-final between Fiorentina (Italy) and Celje (Slovenia) will take place on April 17 at the Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence. The first leg ended 2-1 in favor of Fiorentina. Fiorentina vs. Celje: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Fiorentina
Raffaele Palladino's side won the first leg away with a score of 2-1. This victory marked Fiorentina's sixth win in nine matches in the current Conference League (1 draw, 2 losses). However, the team failed to keep a clean sheet for the eighth time in this tournament. To advance to the next round, the Italians need to avoid defeat over 90 minutes. Notably, the club has reached the finals of the last two editions of this European competition.
- The team has not lost in regular time in their last 12 home matches in the Conference League (8 wins, 4 draws).
- At least four goals have been scored in 90 minutes in 5 of the club's last 6 home matches in this European competition.
- The Italians have scored at least twice in regular time in their last six home matches in the Conference League.
Predicted lineup for Fiorentina (4-3-3)
David de Gea – Marin Pongracic, Luca Ranieri, Pietro Comuzzo, Matias Moreno – Danilo Cataldi, Rolando Mandragora, Yacine Adli – Michael Folorunsho, Nicolo Zaniolo, Lucas Beltran.
Defender Robin Gosens will miss the game due to injury. Defenders Dodo and Matias Moreno, as well as midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo, are suspended.
Celje
Albert Riera's side, having lost the first leg, suffered their second consecutive defeat in the Conference League and their fifth in this tournament. Additionally, Celje has conceded at least two goals in regular time for the eighth time in the current competition. To advance to the next round, the Slovenians need to win by at least two goals over 90 minutes. If the team wins by one goal, extra time will be played. Notably, the club has never reached the semi-finals of any European competition before.
- The club has lost in regular time in 6 of their last 7 away matches in the Conference League.
- The team has conceded at least two goals in 90 minutes in 5 of their last 7 away matches in this European competition.
- Celje has conceded in the second half in 7 of their last 8 away matches in the Conference League.
Predicted lineup for Celje (4-3-3)
Ricardo Silva – Klemen Nemanja, Damjan Vuklishevich, Zan Karnicnik, Juanjo Nieto – Mario Kvesic, Tamar Svetlin, Mark Zabukovnik – Logan Delorier-Schobe, Ales Matko, Svit Seslar.
Referee
Joao Pinheiro (Portugal)
Matches – 11 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 32;
Average yellow cards per match – 2.9;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 21;
Penalties – 27%.
Fiorentina vs. Celje: Match Prediction
Fiorentina has been very confident at home in European competitions, often achieving their goals. The team focuses on attacking football: in 21 home matches in the Conference League, Fiorentina has only failed to score once in 90 minutes. Moreover, in 15 instances, the Italians have scored at least twice. However, in their last six home matches in the Conference League, the club has kept a clean sheet only twice, conceding a total of eight goals.
Celje rarely manages to secure a positive result in away European matches, but the team strives to perform well and dedicates a lot of time to creating chances. In their last nine away matches in the Conference League, the Slovenians have only failed to breach the defense of two clubs in regular time. However, the team's defensive actions leave much to be desired: in 5 of their last 7 away matches in this European competition, Celje has conceded at least two goals over 90 minutes.
I anticipate a high-scoring match, so my prediction: Total over 2.5 goals
