Celje vs AEK Athens FC prediction: EUROPE: Conference League – League phase betting tips on match 2025-10-01 19:00.
[p]Last season’s UEFA Conference League quarter-finalists Celje will start their 2025/26 main-draw campaign in the competition with a matchday-one encounter against AEK Athens.[/p]
[p]Match News and Current Form[/p]
[p]Celje couldn’t manage to smash the UEFA Europa League (UEL) glass ceiling this summer, falling in the second qualifying round (3-2 on aggregate against AEK Larnaca), but are back in the competition that they excelled in last year. Albert Riera’s men became the first Slovenian club to reach the last eight of a major UEFA competition when they did so in the Conference League last term, but are targeting a better start to the league phase here, as they lost on matchday one last season. Eight wins from their last nine games overall (D1) suggest that they are set to better that result on this occasion.[/p]
[p]AEK negotiated three qualifying rounds to reach their first European main draw since the 2023/24 UEL. The Yellow-Blacks are yet to lose a game in any competition this season (W9, D4), but have to replicate that form in Europe, in which their last foray in the group stage (now league phase) ended with them finishing last in 2023/24 (W1, D1, L4) despite starting with a victory on matchday one! The visitors may be hard-pressed to improve away from home however, as they have not won on any of their last four continental trips (D3, L1).[/p]
[p]Head-to-Head History[/p]
[p]This is the first H2H and a maiden meeting with any Greek club for Celje. AEK have played four European games against Slovenian sides since the country’s independence (W3, D1), although the last of those was in September 2004.[/p]
[p]Hot Stats and Streaks[/p]
[p]Celje have won five of their last six home games – accompanied by four clean sheets.[/p]
[p]In eight of Celje’s last 11 matches in Europe, both teams have scored.[/p]
[p]Nine of AEK’s last ten games in all competitions have featured under 2.5 goals in normal time.[/p]
[p]Eight of AEK’s last 11 European away matches saw both teams score.[/p]
[p]Key Players to Watch and Missing Players[/p]
[p]Franko KovaÄŤević has been in red-hot form for Celje, netting six goals in his last four games against top-flight opposition – ten of his last 13 strikes have come after the half-hour mark. AEK’s Frantzdy Pierrot could be first to score here, as his last five goals for club and country have all been the first of the match.[/p]
[p]Armandas Kučys and Mark Zabukovnik remain Celje’s only likely major injury absences, while AEK are battling a few more concerns, with Zini joining the likes of Mijat Gaćinović and Roberto Pereyra in the treatment room.[/p]
[p]For all the latest team news, please check the Flashscore match centre.[/p]
[p]Betting Analysis[/p]
[p]Going by their respective results in Europe, backing both teams to score could be a profitable play here.[/p]
[p][i]Author: Sridhar Bhamidi[/i][/p]