Slovan Bratislava will be hoping to make home advantage count when they welcome Celje to the Tehelne pole for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off round tie on Wednesday.
The two clubs have had very different paths through the last two qualifying rounds to set up this clash.
Slovan, managed by former Manchester City great Yaya Toure, have seen off Iberia Tbilisi 3-1 on aggregate and Mjallby 4-1 with relatively little fuss.
Celje, meanwhile, needed extra-time and penalties to pip Egnatia of Albania in the second qualifying round and then had to score two in the final 10 minutes to come back from the brink to beat Ararat-Armenia.
Slovan Bratislava v Celje Tips Summary
Best Bet - Slovan Bratislava to win @ 8/11
Alternative Bet - Alasana Yirajang anytime goalscorer @ 11/5
Bet Builder - Over 2 Goals, Over 4 Celje Corners, Mario Kvesic 1+ Shots on Target, Manasse Kianga 1+ Shots on Target @ 5/1
Slovan Bratislava v Celje Prediction
Best Bet: Slovan Bratislava to win @ 8/11
A home tie against Celje should bring back happy memories for Slovan Bratislava.
It was in the second qualifying round two years ago that these sides last met with Slovan winning the home leg 5-0 en route to a 6-1 aggregate triumph.
They went on to reach the group stage for the first and only time.
The Slovaks welcome the Slovenes to the Tehelne Pole in Bratislava this week in sparkling form under Yaya Toure, in his first job as a head coach.
They have played seven games this season, winning six, culminating in Saturday's 5-0 thrashing of Ruzomberok in the Slovak top flight. They have conceded just two goals.
Celje have endured a roller-coaster ride to get to this stage and Vitor Campelos's men have ridden their share of luck.
Slovan's home form domestically and in Europe is excellent and they look outstanding value to take a lead back to Celje next week.
Alternative Bet: Alasana Yirajang anytime goalscorer @ 11/5
Yaya Toure is investing plenty of faith in 21-year-old Alasana Yirajang and the Gambia international is not letting his new boss down.
Yirajang struggled to command a regular starting spot in Slovan's title-winning season but he has made a fast start this term with three goals in six outings, two of them in the UEFA Champions League.
The onus is on Slovan to carve out a lead and they will like the fact that Celje have already shipped seven goals in four ties.
Slovan Bratislava v Celje Bet Builder Tip
Over 2 Goals
Over 4 Celje Corners
Mario Kvesic 1+ Shots on Target
Manasse Kianga 1+ Shots on Target
Pays 5/1
Slovan have scored seven goals and average 11 shots a game, while Celje have scored eight and average 13 shots per game. Make over 2 goals the first leg of your Bet Builder for this tie.
Celje are a positive side and they can show this by winning over three corners, which should be possible for a team averaging 6.5 corners per game.
To that end, expect them to have their share of shots with four-goal Mario Kvesic tipped to have at least one on target.
For the home team, expect three-goal Manasse Kianga to do likewise.
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Key Match Stats
Slovan Bratislava were crowned 2025/26 Slovak champions for the 24th time in May, the same time as Celje landed the Slovenian league title for the third time
Slovan have played seven games this season with six wins and a draw; they have beaten Georgian side Iberia Tbilisi (3-1 on aggregate) and Swedish champs Mjallby (4-1) to reach this stage
Celje have played eight matches this season with four wins, three draws and one defeat; they have beaten Egnatia of Albania (5-5 on agg) on penalties and Ararat-Armenia (3-2)
Alasana Yirajang and Manasse Kianga are Slovan's top scorers on three goals; Mario Kvesic is Celje's top scorer with four goals
Celje have won 26 corners in their four UEFA Champions League ties at 6.5 per game; Slovan have won eight (2.0 per game)
The clubs have met once before, in the second qualifying round of the 2024/25 competition, with Slovan winning 6-1 on aggregate; they won the home leg 5-0
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
