Verdict: Away win
Best odds: 1/1
Bookmaker: Olympusbet
On Thursday evening, the first leg of the second-round Europa Conference League qualifying duel, between NK Celje and Vitoria Guimaraes will take place in Slovenia. It will be played at the Stadion Z’dezele, located in Celje, Slovenia.
NK Celje
Celje have already started their 2023/24 season, with a draw against Aluminij in the Slovenian top division last weekend, during the first matchday of the championship. Their friendly matches campaign was rather interesting, with a total record of 2 victories, 4 draws, and only one defeat.
Having finished second to rivals Olimpija Ljubljana in the Slovenian Prva Liga, Celje took Olimpija’s manager Albert Riera for their own, hoping he can repeat the success he achieved with the team from the capital. They head into this clash after a 2-2 draw away to Aluminij in their opening game of the new league season. It was Aljosa Matko and Luka Bobicanec who struck for Riera’s side.
Meanwhile, Celje’s European journey starts with this match. They haven’t enjoyed too much success internationally so far, and they’ll be hoping for more luck this time.
Team News
The transfer marked has also been interesting this summer for the Slovenian side, with plenty of changes made in their squad. Midfielders Mario Kvesic, Abdoul Bandaogo and Artem Bilyi, winger Julien Lamy and striker Edmilson, all arrived as free agents. The club also signed 20-year-old winger Karlo Speljak, from Croatian side NK Sibenik.
Sales were extremely numerous. The more notable ones include winger Benjamin Verbic to Copenhagen, striker Dario Vizinger to Wolfsberger AC, and striker Dragan Cadikovski to Zenit St. Petersburg.
Vitoria Guimaraes
With Braga and Arouca joining the usual Portuguese big three of Benfica, Porto and Sporting Lisbon in finishing ahead, Vitoria Guimaraes ended the 2022/23 season in sixth place to earn a place in these qualifications. It was a relatively comfortable finish in the end, with seven points separating them from seventh-place Chaves.
Moreno’s team played six pre-season friendlies, starting with back-to-back losses to English teams Middlesbrough and Wolverhampton Wanderers, before beating Fafe, and drawing three times on the bounce against Rio Ave, Tondela and Varzim.
Team News
Speaking of Varzim, Vitoria signed right-back Ze Carlos from their ranks this summer, as well as striker Ricardo Mangas from Boavista. Attacking midfielder Nuno Santos, who joined for an undisclosed fee from MLS side Charlotte, is another among the more notable acquisitions of the ongoing window.
Meanwhile, the club took €9 million from the sale of defender Ibra Bamba to Qatari side Al-Duhail, €1.3 million for right-back Falaye Sacko who went to Montpellier, and €1m for striker Anderson Silva who will now play in Turkey for Alanyaspor.
Conclusion
This task won’t be easy for either team, but the significantly higher quality of the Portuguese league compared to that of Slovenia makes Vitoria slight favourites to emerge triumphant and return from Celje with an advantage they can hold onto, or even extend, in the second leg.
Verdict: Away win
Best odds: 1/1
Bookmaker: Olympusbet
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