UEFA Champions League Preview: NK Celje -v- Dundalk

NK CELJE

The Slovenian champions host Dundalk in the unfamiliar surroundings of the Szusza Ferenc stadium in Budapest, Hungary, in their first-ever Champions League appearance (kick-off 6pm Irish time).

Celja will be full of confidence heading into this tie having performed excellently in recent friendlies to back up a terrific domestic 2019/2020 season in which they lost just five times.

Dusan Kosic’s men are newcomers at this level but they edged out Champions League and Europa League regulars NK Maribor to earn their first PrvaLiga title.

In spite of a poor European ranking of 333^rd, compared to Dundalk’s 125^th, they are certainly on the ascendency.

Indeed, the results of the last 12 months may well make the Slovenian’s favourites heading into the game.

“We are aware that we have a challenge ahead of us,” said Kosic at the club’s media briefing ahead of the historic game.

“We are talking to the boys about not playing for ourselves and Celje on Wednesday, but for Slovenia. The boys have been concentrated so far, collected.

“We are aware that we do not have any experience at this level, but our last three years have been focused on being internationally competitive.

“We are looking forward to Wednesday and we will try to show the best face. Anything less than being 100% engaged can be quickly punished in Europe.

“I know that the boys know this and that we will represent Slovenia with dignity on Wednesday."

NK Celje haven’t released team news ahead of the game.

DUNDALK

It has been a difficult restart for Airtricity League titleholders Dundalk and it's not about to get any easier as they face Slovenian champions Celje.

Dundalk’s performances this season have been far from what we have come to expect from the Lilywhites.

Vinny Perth’s side have failed to win any of their league games since the season kicked back into action post lockdown, suffering defeat to Bohemians and drawing with mid-table Waterford and St Patrick’s Athletic.

Though they have registered goals in each of those fixtures, play has been uncharacteristically disjointed -  perhaps owing to a combination of Perth’s continued chopping and changing of the first eleven and new signings such as Will Patching seemingly yet to fire on all cylinders.

It's not quite a crisis as of yet however and though this will be no simple task, Dundalk have regularly made a fine account of themselves in Europe in recent times so will still hold hope of turning around their season.

Star players such as Michael Duffy, Patrick Hoban, Sean Gannon and the returning David McMillan have been here before and may well need to drive the team forward to parachute them towards resembling the club’s heights of 2016.

“It’s going to be a difficult game but we are looking forward to it,” winger Duffy told the club’s official website.

“It will be a tough test and we know that results could have been better since we have come back.

“But we know we can put things right now, it’s a different environment and that we are capable of putting in big performances in Europe.

“We are capable of much better and we have a good record in Europe over the past few years so we want to keep that going and hopefully we can get the right side of the result.”

Cameron Dummigan is definitely out after sustaining an ankle injury in the FAI Cup win over Waterford, while John Mountney and Andy Boyle are doubtful with muscle strains.

BETTING

Dundalk 16/5; Draw 23/10; NK Celje 5/6 

PREDICTION

NK Celje 2 – 0 Dundalk

NK Celje

Injured: N/A

Doubtful: N/A

Suspended: None.

Dundalk

Injured: Cameron Dummigan (ankle).

Doubtful: Andy Boyle, John Mountney.

Suspended: None.