Celje vs Sabah Baku Prediction & Betting Tips (17 July)

This 1/8th final go between Sabah Baku and Celje was very rich in goals with a Slovak victory on the ground of Azerbaidjan 2-3 on July 10. During this first round, the public of the Bank Respublika Arena was able to attend two doubles, those of Safranko for Sabah Baku and Kovacevic for Celje.These two clubs are used to scoring a lot of goals ... Celje has scored 17 in his last 6 games, an average close to 3 goals per game. Since his defeat against Koper 2-3, Celje has not lost in official competitions, signing 3 successes in Koper 0-4 in the final of the Slovenia Cup, on the field of Nafta 1-6 and on the lawn of Sabah Baku 2-3 on July 10 and 1 draw ahead of Domzale 1-1.

Celje played a friendly meeting which ended in a setback against Cukaricki 1-2 in a friendly before his European duel.The Azerbaidjan club marks and collects a lot of goals in recent weeks. Sabah Baku won the Azerbaidjan Cup 3-2 AP against Qarabag at the end of May before recording 2 counter-performance against Rapid Bucharest 2-2 in friendly and facing Celje 2-3 during the qualifications for the Champions League. Slovak striker Pavol Safranko is in great shape with a double to go against Celje but especially 5 goals scored in the last 5 official games of his team. There is no doubt that the latter could be decisive in Slovenia this July 17.

Under the weight of mounting expectations and a string of gritty performances, Sabah Baku met their match in Celje, not once but twice in strikingly similar 3-2 defeats. Both encounters highlighted Celje’s attacking discipline and flair, managing to pierce through Sabah’s defense with sharp transitions and clinical finishing. Despite Sabah's resilience, particularly in holding tight lines against teams like Neftci Baku and Zira, they struggled to contain Celje’s tempo. The Slovenian side exploited space effectively and maintained composure under pressure—qualities that allowed them to edge ahead in tightly contested scorelines.

Sabah Baku, meanwhile, showed flashes of tenacity, especially in their consistent form against domestic rivals. Their draws against Rapid București demonstrated offensive potential that can spark when given room to operate, while narrow victories over Neftci hinted at their capacity to grind out results. However, the repeated losses to Celje underline a gap in adaptability when facing higher-paced European opposition. The match data paints a picture of Sabah as a side in transition—capable of battling toe-to-toe yet still searching for the cohesion to finish on top when margins are slim.

Momentum often favors the bold, and Celje’s recent form suggests they’re ready to seize the moment with a narrow 2–1 victory over Sabah Baku on July 17. With their attacking rhythm sharpened by consistent goal-scoring performances and a home advantage that’s been difficult to crack, Celje is likely to edge past a resilient Sabah side. Sabah’s ability to find the net and stay competitive will keep the match tense, but Celje’s tactical edge and finishing precision could be the difference-maker in this tightly contested Europa League clash.

• Summary: NK Celje is going head to head with Sabah FK starting on 17 Jul 2025 at 18:00 UTC at Arena Z’dezele stadium, Celje city, Slovenia. The match is a part of the UEFA Europa League, Qualification .
• Referee: Dragomir Draganov