Celje - Ararat-Armenia: Can Celje stage a comeback at home and progress?
In the second leg of the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round, Celje and Ararat-Armenia will face each other. The match will take place on Tuesday, August 11, kicking off at 20:15 CET, and I am offering a bet on it.
Celje - Ararat-Armenia: Match preview
The first match between these teams was played in Armenia, and the result was quite unexpected. Celje are considered the favourites in this tie, but they suffered a defeat in the first leg. Ararat scored twice and managed to beat their opponents 2-1.
However, Celje clearly have every chance of staging a comeback. The Slovenian side beat Olimpija Ljubljana 1-0 at the weekend and are currently unbeaten. However, two of their three matches have ended in draws. They have five points after three rounds and sit fourth in the table. The team still have a game in hand, though, so they can close the gap in the standings. Last season, the team won the league title and are now competing for a place in the Champions League, having entered in the second qualifying round. There, they defeated KF Egnatia on penalties.
Armenian side Ararat also won their domestic league title last season, but they started their European qualifying campaign earlier, in the first qualifying round. They beat Riga FC 5-2, then overcame Shamrock Rovers 3-2, and are now close to reaching the final qualifying round. Ararat-Armenia have also started the new Premier League season, and successfully so. They won 4-3 in the opening round and then defeated Urartu 2-1. Six points from two matches has put them in the top three.
Match facts and H2H
- Ararat-Armenia beat Celje 2-1 in the first leg.
- Ararat-Armenia have won their last three matches.
- Celje have lost just one of their last five matches.
- Celje have scored in nine consecutive matches, while Ararat-Armenia have scored 11 goals.
- This will be the third meeting between these teams. Ararat-Armenia have won both previous encounters.
Probable line-ups
- Celje: Leban; Sirvys, Hrka, Tutyskinias; Tusha, Daniel, Zabukovnik, Kvesic; Seslar, Kucys, Avdyli
- Ararat-Armenia: Bravim; Grigoryan, Malis, Wilson, Bueno; Carlier, Muradyan, Oliveira; Banjaqui, Lima, Serobyan
Prediction
This is a very important match for both teams, and Celje will clearly look to win and keep their Champions League campaign alive. They will be playing at home, where their chances of doing so are high. I am offering a bet on a home win at odds of 1.47.
