Celje vs Sabah Baku Prediction & Tips
The first leg of the round of 16 between Sabah Baku and Celje was a high-scoring affair, with the Slovenians securing a 3-2 victory on Azerbaijani soil on 10 July. During this first match, the crowd at the Bank Respublika Arena witnessed two braces, one from Safranko for Sabah Baku and the other from Kovacevic for Celje.
Both clubs are accustomed to scoring a lot of goals… Celje has scored 17 in its last six matches, averaging nearly three goals per game. Since its defeat against Koper (2-3), Celje has not lost in official competitions, recording three wins at Koper (0-4) in the Slovenian Cup final, at Nafta (1-6) and at Sabah Baku (2-3) on 10 July, followed by a draw against Domzale (1-1). Celje played a friendly match that ended in a defeat against Cukaricki (1-2) before their European clash.
The Azerbaijani club has been scoring and conceding a lot of goals in recent weeks. Sabah Baku won the Azerbaijan Cup (3-2 a.e.t.) against Qarabag at the end of May before recording two poor performances against Rapid Bucharest (2-2) in a friendly and against Celje (2-3) in the Champions League qualifiers. Slovak striker Pavol Safranko is in great form, scoring twice in the first leg against Celje and, more importantly, scoring five goals in his team’s last five official matches. There is no doubt that he could prove decisive in Slovenia on 17 July.
