Fiorentina vs Celje prediction: EUROPE: Conference League – Play Offs betting tips on match 2025-04-16 16:45.
[p]Fiorentina could only draw 0-0 against Serie A strugglers Parma, as La Viola find themselves outside the top six and set to miss out on a spot in Europe next season via their league position as things stand. Raffaele Palladino’s men will qualify for the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League if they can win the ongoing UEFA Conference League, with a 2-1 quarter-final first-leg victory over NK Celje giving them hope of finally going one better than their runners-up finishes in the competition during the last two campaigns.[/p]
[p]Last Thursday’s triumph gives Fiorentina a great chance of winning a 12th two-legged Conference League tie out of 12, which would further improve their record of progressing from nine out of their ten previous UEFA quarter-finals. They should be confident about completing the job at Stadio Artemio Franchi, as they have won six of their last such eight matches in all competitions (D1, L1), having also earned victories in all four of their Conference League main-draw home games this season, scoring 2+ goals each time. [/p]
[p]Celje kept themselves alive in the tie thanks to a 68th-minute penalty in the first major European quarter-final for any Slovenian side. The Yellow and Blues bounced back from that loss against Fiorentina with a 2-1 win at the weekend to give themselves a chance of qualifying for Europe through the Slovenian league, but they will be keen to continue their Conference League journey.[/p]
[p]Overcoming the one-goal deficit in this tie and taking Fiorentina to penalties would suit the visitors, as they have won both their previous UEFA shootouts. One of those came in the previous round of this competition when they defeated Lugano, but six losses in their last seven Conference League away matches inside 90 minutes (W1) suggests that Celje will not have spot-kicks on their mind just yet. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: David de Gea was hailed as “a stratospheric goalkeeper” after the first leg by matchwinner Rolando Mandragora, but the Spaniard has failed to keep a clean sheet in his four Conference League games this season. Svit Sešlar scored Celje’s opening goal at the weekend and has had an action-packed last two Conference League away trips (G1, A2, YC1), ending up on the winning side on both occasions.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Fiorentina have scored 2+ goals in 11 of their last 12 home Conference League matches (W9, D3).[/p]
[p][i]Written by Sridhar B[/i][/p]