NK Celje vs APOEL: betting odds February 13, 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 Slovenians managed to progress from the group stage. Albert Riera's side avoided defeat 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 edition, the club failed to reach the main round.

Head coach Albert Riera is suspended for the upcoming match.

• At least three goals were scored in 6 of the last 7 games involving the Slovenians in the Conference League.
• 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 Dulka, Svit Seslar, Tamar Svetlin, Mark Zabukovnik, Klemen Lernar – 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 Jimenez's side showcased excellent defensive play, conceding just 5 goals, the lowest in the tournament. In the previous European campaign, the club fell just short of the group stage.

Midfielder Giannis Satsias will miss the match due to suspension.

• The islanders have scored in 6 of their last 7 matches in the Conference League.
• The Cypriots have avoided defeat in 5 of their last 6 away matches in the Conference League (4 wins, 1 draw).
• In 7 of their last 9 away games 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.

Referee

Mykola 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%.

Match Prediction: Celje vs. APOEL

The Slovenians have been the most prolific team among all playoff participants. Albert Riera's side scored 13 goals, failing to find the net only in the away match against Pafos in the group stage. However, they also conceded the same number of goals, with only four clubs having a worse 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. In the group stage, Manolo Jimenez's side kept a clean sheet in only one game. Moreover, APOEL failed to keep their goal intact in 5 of their last 7 away matches in the Conference League. However, the team scores regularly, albeit modestly. In the main round of this tournament, the club had only one match without scoring, and away in the Conference League, they scored in 5 of their last 6 matches.

My prediction: Both teams to score – yes