Celje vs Fiorentina prediction: EUROPE: Conference League – Play Offs betting tips on match 2025-04-09 19:00.
[p]Slovenian champions Celje will be flying their nation’s flag here in the quarter-final of this season’s UEFA Conference League, as they’re the first Slovenian team to appear at this stage of a major UEFA competition. After finishing 21st in the league phase (W2, D1, L3), Albert Riera’s men have already endured two knockout rounds prior to this, overcoming APOEL 4-2 on aggregate, before beating Lugano most recently.[/p]
[p]A significant step up in quality awaits them here as Fiorentina – their first-ever Italian opponents – visit, but the hosts may just be confident having avoided defeat in their last 11 home games in Europe (W7, D4). Four successive wins in all competitions should reinforce that belief, but with all four coming by a one-goal margin, a Celje win here is unlikely to be convincing.[/p]
[p]It is also Fiorentina’s first meeting with a Slovenian side, but they’ll be hoping for an easier ride than the one they experienced against Panathinaikos in the previous round. The Viola lost the first leg away 3-2, but blew the Greeks away with a 3-1 win at home to extend their proud record of progressing from all 11 of their two-legged Conference League ties.[/p]
[p]Raffaele Palladino’s men will be confident of another triumph here having also won nine of their previous ten UEFA competition quarter-finals, and doing so would keep them firmly on track for a third successive Conference League final. Fiorentina are perhaps deserving of their tag as betting favourites here since they’re unbeaten in four games (W3, D1), but letting a 2-0 lead slip to draw 2-2 away to AC Milan at the weekend might have them doubting themselves if they hit the front. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Tamar Svetlin thrives on the continental stage since he’s scored five times in Europe this season, including in each of their last three Conference League matches. Rolando Mandragora has been just as influential for Fiorentina in this competition,  netting six career Conference League goals and remaining unbeaten when doing so (W5, D1), including in the second-leg against Panathinaikos. [/p]
[p]Hot streak: None of Celje’s last 41 games in European competition have finished goalless. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Peter Stavrinou[/i][/p]