The upcoming Champions League qualifying clash between Flora and Celje promises to be an exciting encounter.
As both teams prepare to battle it out for a place in the next round, let’s delve into the team news, form, and predictions for this match.
Match Preview
Flora’s Recent Form
Flora is gearing up for their second consecutive appearance in Champions League qualifying after retaining their Meistriliiga title last season.
However, the team’s current domestic form under new manager Norbert Hurt has been less impressive.
Flora is currently third in the league, 15 points behind leaders Levadia. Their recent 1-0 loss to Levadia ended a seven-game unbeaten run, putting additional pressure on the team as they shift focus to European competition.
Celje’s Recent Form
Celje, the Slovenian PrvaLiga champions, had a stellar season last year, winning the league with 79 points from 36 matches.
This will be their first Champions League qualifying campaign since 2020-21. Celje had a mix of results in pre-season friendlies but will be buoyed by memories of their successful domestic campaign.
They aim to improve on their previous European outings, where they fell short in the Europa Conference League last season.
Team News
Flora
Flora’s lineup is expected to see some changes from their last domestic game. Marco Lukka, who was benched in the recent loss to Levadia, is likely to return to the starting XI.
Mark Anders Lepik remains a key attacking threat, having scored 17 goals in 24 competitive appearances this season.
Expected Starting XI: Grunvald; Hussar, Kolobov, Tougjas, Lukka; Zenjov, Kreida, Mihhailov, Kuraksin; Lepik, Alliku
Celje
Celje will be without right-back Zan Karnicnik, who is recovering from international duty with Slovenia at Euro 2024.
Aljosa Matko, who netted 20 goals in 32 matches last season, is expected to lead the line.
Expected Starting XI: Rozman; Ajhmajer, Zec, Vuklisevic, Milic; Menalo, Svetlin, Zabukovnik, Bobicanec, Brnic; Matko
Prediction
Celje’s experience in…
Source link : https://www.footballcritic.com/news/flora-vs-celje-champions-league-qualifying-prediction/5310
Author : editors@footballcritic.com (Jake Skudder)
Publish date : 2024-07-09 08:34:13
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