The first match of the 1st qualifying round of the Europa League 2025/26 between Sabah (Azerbaijan) and Celje (Slovenia) will take place on July 10 at the Bank Respublika Arena in Masazir. Sabah vs. Celje: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Daniyar Sakhi (Kazakhstan)
Matches – 7 (International matches, 2024/2025);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 16;
Average yellow cards per match – 2.3;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 21;
Penalties – 0%.
After winning the Azerbaijan Cup, Sabah now set their sights on a place in European competitions. Facing NK Celje, a team with considerably more international experience, Sabah are expected to take a cautious approach from the outset.
Sabah ended last season on an impressive nine-match unbeaten streak, which began in mid-April. During that run, the squad conceded more than one goal in just two matches. A 2:2 draw in a friendly against Rapid București saw some defensive lapses due to the inexperience of younger players, but the strongest possible line-up is anticipated for this European clash.
NK Celje not only achieved their European qualification target last season but also reached the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League, narrowly losing to ACF Fiorentina (4:3 on aggregate). However, their pre-season has been far from smooth. In their only friendly — a 2:1 defeat to FK Čukarički — the team struggled to create chances, and their most valuable player, Armandas Kucys, suffered a cruciate ligament injury. Without their main striker, NK Celje may find themselves on the back foot in Azerbaijan, particularly given the significant gap in squad value (9.79 million euros compared to 12.55 million).
We share the view that there is a strong likelihood of a low-scoring encounter. Both Sabah and NK Celje may find it difficult to generate attacking momentum in this early-season fixture.
