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A place in the play-off round of the UEFA Champions League will be at stake when Ararat-Armenia and Celje draw swords at Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium on Tuesday.
The hosts, who have been guaranteed a place in the league phase of a UEFA club competition for the first time in history, will look to maintain their perfect home record.
Celje, meanwhile, are hoping to halt their streak of four consecutive stalemates.
Read our Ararat-Armenia vs Celje prediction, preview and betting tips below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Ararat-Armenia vs Celje key stats
- Ararat-Armenia opened the scoring in six of their last eight matches.
- Celje’s last six games have all produced goals at both ends.
- The visitors are unbeaten in their last six outings across all competitions.
Ararat-Armenia vs Celje preview: Hosts to continue their historic run?
Ararat-Armenia vs Celje — Tale of the Tape
| Ararat-Armenia | vs | Celje |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd (Armenian Premier League) | Position | 7th (Slovenian Prvaliga) |
| 3 | Points | 2 |
| 4 | Goals For | 3 |
| 3 | Goals Against | 3 |
| 0 | Clean Sheets | 0 |
| N/A | Home / Away Rank | N/A |
Despite being the underdogs in both ties, Ararat-Armenia eliminated Riga and Shamrock Rovers in the previous rounds, advancing to the Champions League's third qualifying round for the first time in their nine-year history.
Interestingly, home advantage has been the lifeline for Manuel Tulipa's troops. Although they lost their away games in the previous two rounds, identical 2-0 home wins were enough to secure aggregate victories.
Ararat-Armenia kicked off their league campaign with a hard-fought 4-3 win at Gandzasar over the weekend. With no injured or suspended players ahead of this clash, coach Tulipa is expected to field his strongest starting XI, with Sandro Lima leading the line.
The 35-year-old Brazilian forward, who joined the team from Alverca just over a month ago, has made all the difference for the hosts, having found the net in their last three Champions League qualifying games.
On the other hand, Celje needed a penalty shootout to beat Albanian side Egnatia in the previous round after their tie ended 5-5 on aggregate. They have played four competitive matches this season, all of which have ended in stalemates.
Although the Slovenian champions have never reached the Champions League proper, they featured in the UEFA Conference League over the past two seasons, advancing to at least the round of 16 on both occasions.
Like their opponents, Vitor Campelos’ side have a clean bill of health ahead of this skirmish. Mario Kvesic scored four of the team's five goals in the previous qualifying round and is expected to start this game after coming off the bench to set up the equaliser in their league clash with Maribor last weekend.
It is important to note that both teams are guaranteed a spot in the league phase of at least one UEFA club competition this season.
Worst-case scenario, the loser of this tie will advance to the play-off round of the Europa League, and even if they lose that tie, they would still qualify for the league phase of the Conference League. This would be a first for Ararat-Armenia, who have never featured in the league phase of a UEFA competition.
Moreover, these teams clashed in the third qualifying round of the Europa League six years ago, and Ararat-Armenia triumphed by a single goal.
Ararat-Armenia vs Celje form guide & betting tips
| Ararat-Armenia | vs | Celje |
|---|---|---|
W
L
W
L
W
|
Form |
W
D
D
D
D
|
| 11 | Goals For | 12 |
| 8 | Goals Against | 11 |
W
L
W
L
|
Champions League Form |
D
D
|
Whispers Predicts: Ararat-Armenia 2-1 Celje
At 8/5 (2.60), Celje are considered favourites by the bookies, despite failing to win a competitive game in regulation time this season.
Considering that Ararat-Armenia won their home games in the previous two rounds, coupled with their victory over Celje in the only other encounter between these sides, we are confident that the hosts will come out on top after 90 minutes.
Additionally, both teams were on the scoresheet in five of Ararat-Armenia's last seven matches and in each of Celje's last six fixtures, and this can be backed at 3/4 (1.75).
We also fancy over 2.5 total goals at 1/1 (2.00). This landed in three of Ararat-Armenia's last four outings.
> Over 2.5 total goals at 1/1 (2.00) | Likelihood: Probable
> BTTS – Yes at 3/4 (1.75) | Likelihood: Probable
> Match result: Ararat-Armenia at 9/5 (2.80) | Likelihood: Possible
> Ararat-Armenia & BTTS – Yes at 9/2 (5.50) | Likelihood: Possible
> Correct Score: 2-1 at 9/1 (10.00) | Likelihood: Outsider