Champions League qualifying play-offs second leg: Celje vs Slovan Bratislava facts

Celje have home advantage for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League qualifying play-off against Slovan Bratislava with the teams level at 1-1 after the first game in Slovakia.

Previous meetings

Slovan debutant Roman Čerepkai opened the scoring after 15 minutes in Bratislava on 19 August, Milot Avdyli levelling for Celje four minutes before the break.

The clubs had met only once before, 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.

Celje have 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).

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.

Form guide

Celje

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.

Slovan Bratislava

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.

Links and trivia

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 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 ten European matches (W4 D4) and have won five of their last six two-legged ties.

Indeed, Celje have lost only one of their last eight home matches in UEFA competition (W5 D2) and have won the second leg in four of their last five European ties (D1).

This is Slovan's sixth 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).

The Slovakian side have therefore scored two goals in each of their two away qualifiers this season, winning both.

Slovan are also unbeaten in six 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.