APOEL vs Celje prediction: EUROPE: Conference League – Play Offs betting tips on match 2025-02-19 20:00.
[p]There’s nothing to separate APOEL Nicosia and Celje after a 2-2 draw in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League play-off tie in Slovenia last week. APOEL travelled as narrow favourites yet fell behind in both halves, eventually holding on to a draw after being reduced to ten men in the second half. The Spanish head coaches of both sides were displeased with their work in possession and defending, setting up a fascinating decider in Cyprus. [/p]
[p]APOEL won just one of their three league phase fixtures on home soil (D1, L1), so there’s certainly no guarantee that returning home will mean they can go one better than the first leg. They at least enter the return fixture in winning form after getting the better of a tightly-contested domestic league encounter on Sunday evening (W 2-1) to end a four-game winless run across all competitions (D3, L1). [/p]
[p]Celje might also wish they were in better shape ahead of this rematch after they fell further away from the top-three domestically with a 0-0 draw that means they’re winless in four outings (D2, L2). Despite failing to score, perhaps one positive they could take from the game is that their defenders ended a streak of six straight matches in which they conceded multiple goals (W1, D2, L3). [/p]
[p]Travel sickness in European competition could end Celje’s progression hopes here, as they have lost each of their last six away games in UEFA competitions. Perhaps most importantly as far as this game is concerned, they also conceded 2+ goals in all three away games in the league phase, so their defending will need to improve here to reach the last 16.  [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Veteran 38-year-old striker Youssef El Arabi opened his account for the season with a goal in Europa League qualifying back in August, and will hope to add to the 11 he has accumulated across all competitions this season – the last five of which came after half-time. On target inside two minutes of the first leg for Celje, Armandas KuÄŤys scored three goals in his first two games back from injury, and played just 14 minutes at the weekend to stay fresh for this fixture.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: The pre-match favourite has won just one of APOEL’s seven Conference League games this season. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Aaron Murphy[/i][/p]