Holiday Thursday, a day for European advancement: Celje in Ireland, Maribor in Serbia, Olimpija in Moldova, all with an advantage in hand

Published on 15. August 2024 15. August 2024

Photo: Urban Lesjak & Luka Vovk / Sportida & Žan Pak

The daily hustle and bustle in Slovenia has come to a halt; Thursday is a day for celebration. But it’s also a day for… European advancement! Three Slovenian clubs will be chasing a historic achievement: advancing to the last round of European qualifiers. Slovenian clubs have played in the playoffs before, but never have three clubs played there at the same time. Now, the prospects are good: Celje, Maribor, and Olimpija will defend their advantage in the return matches, which is – clearly – a good sign.

Celje actually has a historic opportunity, as they could secure autumn in Europe today. In case of a win or advancement in Dublin, at least the Conference League will be guaranteed, and the last obstacle on the way to the Europa League will be PAOK. Celje defeated Shamrock 1-0 in the princely town. The play wasn’t brilliant, but it was evident that the Slovenians were better. The task in Dublin will be challenging regardless, as Shamrock is a tough opponent known for their resilience. Celje will play the return match “weakened,” as even captain Denis Popović will be missing. Popović played his last game for Celje, having been released by Albert Riera. Additionally, if Celje is eliminated, they will play against the winner of the match between Ordabasy and Pyunik in the last round of the Conference League qualifiers. Pyunik won the first leg 1-0 away.

Luka Bobičanec Celje — Photo: Luka Vovk / Sportida

Olimpija can travel with the most peace of mind. The Ljubljančani crushed Šerif in Stožice, who are certainly not a weak opponent, but Olimpija played a perfect game. The 3-0 victory was well-deserved, and given their current form, a miracle would be needed in the return match for Olimpija not to advance. However, the last league match brought some unease, as Olimpija did not win for the first time this season. But after six consecutive wins, a draw away at Domžale is a perfectly acceptable result. Nothing lasts forever, and if Olimpija “rested” a bit by the Kamniška Bistrica… They can afford it, but their performance against Šerif is expected to be much better. If they win, Olimpija will play against the loser of the match between Elfsborg and Rijeka in the last round of the Conference League. The first leg ended 1-1.

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Pedro Lucas Olimpija — Photo: Luka Vovk / Sportida

Maribor traveled to Bačka Topola, where Vojvodina plays their home European matches, with additional confidence after handing Mura their first defeat of the season. Štajerci also have sweet selection headaches, as all players are fit. Despite everything, Maribor faces a challenging task in Serbia. Vojvodina proved in Ljudski vrt that they are a very capable team that can eliminate anyone. Therefore, it is crucial that Hillal Soudani scored deep in stoppage time in the first leg, giving Maribor a slim advantage. The first leg ended 2-1 for Ante Šimundža‘s team, who will have to overcome a rather dismal record. Maribor is on a run of three consecutive European defeats and four away matches without a win. Moreover, they have won only twice in their last 10 European away games.

The match in Celje will start at 9 PM Slovenian time, Olimpija will fight in Tiraspol two hours earlier (7 PM), and Maribor will begin their journey towards the last round of European qualifiers at 8 PM.