FC Drita and NK Celje return to action in the UEFA Conference League when they square off at the Pristina City Stadium on Thursday. Both sides missed out on a top-eight finish in the group stages and will be out to secure a first-leg advantage as they look to reach the round of 16.
Drita made it three wins from three in the Kosovo Superliga last Saturday as they edged out Drenica 1-0 when the two sides squared off at the Stadiumi i Qytetit.
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Zekirija Ramadani’s men, who currently sit third in the league standings, now return to action in the Conference League, where they picked up eight points from six matches to finish 20th in the group table.
Drita went unbeaten in their first four group games, picking up two wins and two draws, before suffering consecutive defeats at the hands of AZ Alkmaar and Rayo Vallecano.
Meanwhile, having kicked off their European journey with much promise, a run of just two points from their final three group games detailed Celje’s quest for a top-eight finish.
Ivan Maevskiy’s side picked up three wins from their opening three matches, before suffering two back-to-back losses and claiming one draw from their final three games to finish 13th in the table, two points off eighth-placed AEK Larnaca in the final automatic last-16 qualifying spot.
Celje head into Thursday’s tie in high spirits, having secured an emphatic 5-1 victory over Mura in the Slovenian PrvaLiga, where they sit top of the league table, 12 points clear of second-placed Maribor.
FC Drita vs NK Celje Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- This will be the first-ever meeting between Drita and NK Celje, and both sides will be looking to begin their head-to-head record on a positive note.
- Cleje are unbeaten in four of their most recent five competitive matches, picking up two wins and two draws since December 18.
- Like the home side, Drita have lost just one of their last five competitive matches while claiming three wins and one draw since mid-December.
- Celje are on a run of five consecutive competitive away games without a win, losing four and claiming one draw since November’s 2-0 victory over Domzale.
FC Drita vs NK Celje Prediction
Given the stakes of Thursday’s tie, we expect Drita and Celje to go all out at the Pristina City Stadium as they look to secure a first-leg advantage. Maevskiy’s men boast a superior squad on paper, and while we expect Drita to put up a fight, we are backing Celje to come away with a narrow victory.
Prediction: FC Drita 1-2 NK Celje
FC Drita vs NK Celje Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result – Celje to win
Tip 2: Over 2.5 goals – Yes (There have been at least three goals scored in Celje’s last five games)
Tip 3: Both sides to score – Yes (Both teams have also scored in four of the visitors’ last five outings)
Edited by Peter P
