Champions League qualifying play-off first leg: Slovan Bratislava vs Celje facts
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Article summary
Previous meetings, club facts and key stats ahead of the UEFA Champions League play-off first leg.
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Having made their UEFA Champions League debut two seasons ago, Slovan Bratislava are attempting to return to the competition proper as they take on Celje, who are out to make their debut.
Previous meetings
The clubs have met only once, in the 2024/25 second qualifying round, Slovan winning 6-1 on aggregate. A 1-1 first-leg draw in Slovenia was followed by a 5-0 home victory in Slovakia in which Tigran Barseghyan scored the final goal.
Slovan's only other games against Slovenian opposition came in the 2023/24 UEFA Conference League group stage, when they won 1-0 at Olimpija Ljubljana but lost 1-2 at home.
Celje have likewise played one other tie against a Slovakian club, beating Petržalka 6-1 on aggregate in the 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup second round (5-0 h, 1-1 a).
Form guide
Slovan are aiming to reach the Champions League proper for the second time having made their debut in 2024/25, when they finished 35th in the league phase.
Slovan beat Midtjylland 4-3 on aggregate in that season's qualifying play-offs (1-1 a, 3-2 h) – their sole previous tie at this stage.
The Slovakian side are taking part in Champions League qualifying for the 13th time and the eighth in succession.
This is Celje's longest run in Champions League qualifying having lost in the second qualifying round in their previous two participations, in 2020/21 and 2024/25.
Maribor are the only Slovenian side to feature in the Champions League proper, making the last of their three appearances in 2017/18.
Links and trivia
This is Slovan's fifth European game of 2026/27. They beat Iberia Tbilisi 3-1 on aggregate in the second qualifying round (2-0 a, 1-1 h) and Sweden's Mjällby 4-1 in the third (2-1 a, 2-0 h).
Slovan are unbeaten in five European matches, winning four.
The Bratislava club lost in the third qualifying round of the Champions League and then the UEFA Europa League qualifying play-offs in 2025/26, finishing 29th in the league phase of the Conference League.
Slovan have won seven of their last nine two-legged European ties.
Suleiman Camara has scored in Slovan's last two Champions League games.
Celje featured in the league phase of the Conference League in each of the past two seasons, losing 2-4 on aggregate to AEK Athens in the 2025/26 round of 16.
The Slovenian side also kicked off in this season's second qualifying round, beating Egnatia of Albania 4-1 on penalties (3-3 a, 2-2 h aet) before defeating Ararat-Armenia 3-2 in the next round (1-2 a, 2-0 h).
Celje have lost only two of their last nine European matches (W4 D3) and have won five of their last six two-legged ties.
Mario Kvesić has scored four goals in Celje's four qualifying matches this season.