Celje vs Omonia Nicosia 15.10.2026: Prediction, Betting Tips and Match Preview

Celje welcome Omonia Nicosia to their home ground for Matchday 2 of the UEFA Europa League. The hosts are desperate to get their first points on the board in the competition, while the visitors aim to build on their winning start. Current form favors the Cypriot side, but the Slovenians can be dangerous on their own turf. Who will take a step closer to their objective?

Celje's Recent Struggles and Hopes

Celje come into this fixture on the back of a 1-0 league win over Aluminij, which snapped a poor run of results. However, it is too early to declare the crisis over. In their last five official matches — including two under new boss Vito Campelush — they have managed just one victory and scored only two goals. The attacking woes were evident not only in the 0-2 loss to Bayer Leverkusen but also in domestic games against Koper (0-1) and Mura (0-0).

On the plus side, Celje have kept clean sheets in their last two outings, suggesting a more organized defensive setup. Yet the win over Aluminij was far from comfortable: the opponents created several clear chances and hit the woodwork late on. A potential boost could come from the work of Zoran Zeljkovic, who took over in September. The international break allowed him to address the team's issues, but it is too soon to see lasting improvements. Benjamín Verbič remains a doubt: he returned to the squad for the last match after an injury but did not get any minutes.

Omonia Nicosia's Confident Run

The Cypriot outfit travel to Slovenia on a five-match unbeaten streak, with four wins and one draw in that span. They have scored 12 goals and conceded only two. In their most recent outing, a 3-0 victory over Karmiotissa, Henning Berg's men dominated proceedings, outperformed the opponent in key stats, and earned a deserved big win. Two goals after the 80th minute also highlight their ability to maintain pressure and grind out results.

In the Europa League, Omonia started with a 1-0 win over Spanish side Celta Vigo, courtesy of a precise 88th-minute strike from Yure Balkovec. That result confirmed their capacity to get the job done in tight matches. The main concern ahead of the Celje clash is the fitness of Luke Brouwers, who picked up an ankle injury in the previous game. The midfielder played through it but felt discomfort afterward. If the Dutchman is not fit, Mateo Marić could step in as a replacement.

Predicted Lineups

Celje (4-2-3-1): Leban – Širvis, Bejger, Tutyshkin, Avdyuli – Zabukovnik, Tičić – Dukuli, Sešlar, Tuša – Kučys

Unavailable: Pišek (injured); Verbič (doubtful)

Head coach: Zoran Zeljkovic

Omonia Nicosia (4-2-3-1): Fabiano – Duverne, Coulibaly, Shatska, Balkovec – Marić, Andreou – Evandro, Tanković, Montnor – Đonić

Unavailable: Akintola, Eiting, Kitsos (all injured); Musialowski, Oduabajo, Victoros (all not registered); Brouwers (doubtful)

Head coach: Henning Berg

Referee

The match will be officiated by Elchin Masiev from Azerbaijan. He is a strict referee who this season averages 4.2 yellow cards per game across all competitions. In five matches, he has sent off two players and awarded one penalty.

Prediction and Bet

Main prediction: Omonia Nicosia to win at odds of 2.79

Omonia are in superb form, having won their last three matches with an aggregate score of 8-1. They have already proven their mettle on the European stage by beating Celta Vigo 1-0. Celje, meanwhile, recently changed head coach, but the impact has been minimal — they have won only one of three games under Zeljkovic. Therefore, our pick is an away victory at 2.79.

Total goals prediction: Under 2.5 goals at odds of 2.05

This match is unlikely to see many goals. Celje continue to struggle in attack even with a new manager, scoring just once in three matches. However, their defense has tightened up, keeping two consecutive clean sheets. Omonia tend to play cautiously in European away games, which has resulted in three straight “unders” in their Champions League and Europa League qualifiers. Our pick is under 2.5 goals at 2.05.