Celje vs Fiorentina facts

Celje's first European quarter-final brings a first meeting with a team from Italy as they take on back-to-back UEFA Conference League finalists Fiorentina in the first leg.

The Slovenian side came out on top of a remarkable round of 16 tie against Lugano, eventually triumphing 3-1 on penalties after a 5-5 draw on aggregate, which included a 5-4 second leg defeat in Switzerland. Albert Riera's side were 4-2 down and heading out until a stoppage-time spot kick from Armandas Kučys forced extra time.

Fiorentina will hope that this season is third time lucky after defeats in the final in each of their last two Conference League campaigns. Raffaele Palladino's charges knocked out Panathinaikos in the last round, overturning a 3-2 first-leg defeat to triumph 5-4 on aggregate.

This is the first time either side have played against a team from the other's country in UEFA competition.

Form guide

Celje

The Slovenian champions – who are at this stage of a European competition for the first time – finished 21st in the league phase, qualifying for the knockout phase play-off round on goal difference following two wins, one draw and three defeats from their six matches.

They took on Cypriot side APOEL in the knockout phase play-off, drawing 2-2 at home in the first leg before a 2-0 away victory in the return sent them through to the round of 16 for the first time in the club's history.

A 1-0 home win in their first leg against Lugano, thanks to Tamar Svetlin's 23rd-minute header, was followed by a dramatic second leg in Thun which featured nine goals, Celje eventually prevailing 3-1 on penalties after a 5-5 draw on aggregate.

Celje are the first Slovenian team to appear in a major UEFA competition quarter-final.

They are unbeaten in their last 11 European home games, winning seven and drawing four, while none of their past 41 games in UEFA competition have finished goalless.

Svetlin has scored in each of Celje's last three Conference League matches while Svit Sešlar leads the competition's assist charts with seven, three more than any other player.

Fiorentina

The Italian side – who lost to West Ham in the 2023 final and Olympiacos 12 months later – finished third in this season's league phase (W4 D1 L1). In the round of 16 they took on Panathinaikos, losing the first leg 3-2 in Athens before triumphing 3-1 at home to stage a dramatic comeback thanks to goals from Rolando Mandragora, Albert Gudmundsson and Moise Kean.

La Viola have won all 11 of their two-legged Conference League ties including qualifying, while they have progressed from nine of their previous ten quarter-finals in European competition, the exception a 1-3 aggregate defeat by Celtic in the 1969/70 European Cup.

Fiorentina have won more matches (21) and scored more goals (85) in the Conference League, Matchday 1 to final, than any other team.

The 1961 Cup Winners' Cup winners have lost only four of their last 24 European gaming (W12 D9) and have won 12 of their previous 20 matches in UEFA quarter-finals, drawing four and losing four.

Raffaele Palladino's team have scored 23 goals in this season's Conference League, behind only Chelsea (29).

Links and trivia

Celje's Artemijus Tutyškinas was at Italian side Crotone in Serie B in 2021/22, although he did not make a first-team appearance.

Tutyškinas made his international debut for Lithuania in Italy, the Azzurri winning 5-0 on 8 September 2021 with Fiorentina striker Kean opening the scoring.

Celje's midfielder Logan Delaurier-Chaubet came through the Bordeaux academy and B team when Fiorentina's Yacine Adli was playing for the French club's first team obetween 2019 and 2022.

Celje coach Riera spent a brief period in Italy with Udinese in 2014 during his playing career but did not play a game.