NK Celje vs APOEL: betting odds 13 Feb 2025

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 Slovenian side managed to progress from the group stage. Albert Riera's team remained unbeaten in 3 out of 6 matches (2 wins, 1 draw) and finished in 21st place. Notably, Celje was among the six teams that conceded in every group stage match. 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)

Matjaz Rozman – David Zec, Klemen Nemanja, Zan Karnicnik, Juanjo Nieto – Marko Dulca, Svit Seslar, Tamar Svetlin, Mark Zabukovnik, Klemen Lernar – Edmilson Filho.

APOEL

The Cypriots navigated the group stage more confidently than their upcoming opponents. The team suffered only one defeat (3 wins, 2 draws) and finished in 11th place. Under Manolo Jimenez, APOEL showcased excellent defensive play, conceding just 5 goals, the fewest in the tournament. In the previous European campaign, the club came close to reaching the group stage.

Midfielder Giannis Satsias will miss the match due to suspension.

• 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).
• In 7 of their last 9 away matches in this tournament, APOEL has not conceded more than one goal.

Predicted lineup for APOEL (5-3-2)

Vid Belec – Konstantinos Laifis, Issam Chebake, Xavi Quintilla, David Abagna, Radosav Petrovic – Georgi Kostadinov, Diumerci Ndongala, Sergio Tejera – Anastasios Donis, Youssef El Arabi.

Match Prediction: Celje vs. APOEL

The Slovenians have been the most prolific team among the playoff participants. Albert Riera's side scored 13 goals, failing to score only in the away match against Pafos during the group stage. However, they also conceded 13 goals, with only four clubs having a worse defensive record. High-scoring games are characteristic of Celje in the Conference League, especially at home, where both teams have scored in five consecutive matches.

The small number of goals conceded by the Cypriots should not be misleading. During the group stage, Manolo Jimenez's team managed just one clean sheet. Away from home, APOEL failed to keep a clean sheet in 5 of their last 7 Conference League matches. While they score modestly, they do so consistently. In the main round of this tournament, the club has only one match without goals, and in the Conference League, the islanders scored in 5 of their last 6 away games.

My prediction: Both teams to score – yes