Slovan Bratislava vs APOEL Match Analysis & Prediction
07/08/2024 9:30 pm
Both looking to take the next step towards a spot in this season’s Champions League, Slovan Bratislava and APOEL will meet for the first leg of their third-round qualifier on Wednesday.
Participating in Champions League qualifying for the sixth successive season, after they retained their Slovakian title last campaign, Slovan Bratislava are yet to progress through to the all-important group stage, which will be expanded to include 36 teams this year.
Bratislava kicked off their latest campaign in mid-July with a first-round tie against Struga, cruising past the North Macedonian side by a 6-3 aggregate score and setting up a second-round contest with Slovenia’s NK Celje.
Vladimir Weiss – who previously led the national team and is in his second stint as Slovan boss – steered his side to a 1-1 away draw in the first leg, before they strolled to a 5-0 home victory when Celje were reduced to 10 man in Bratislava.
Having scored in both legs, former Spezia striker David Strelec netted again in the capital club’s opening-day victory as the Slovak Super League resumed, and they have posted two wins from two so far.
While Slovan have been regulars in recent UEFA competitions, APOEL are making their first appearance on the main stage since losing to Basel in the 2019-20 Europa League’s first knockout round.
APOEL had previously qualified four times for the Champions League group stage – memorably managing to reach the quarter-finals in 2012 – and made it into the Europa League three times as well.
After letting their domestic dominance slip and being struck by financial problems, APOEL returned to domestic glory last season, winning the Cypriot championship for a record-extending 29th time by finishing first in the playoff round following a dramatic final-day draw with closest rivals AEK.
Title-winning manager Ricardo Sa Pinto led the club to top spot in his only season, with his team boasting both the best attack and best defence, but Spanish coach David Gallego has now taken charge for 2024-25.
In his first competitive match, APOEL won their opening Champions League qualifier by beating Petrocub in the second round – following a 1-0 victory in the first leg, they played out a tense 1-1 draw away from home, with Brazilian winger Marquinhos scoring in both games.
Slovan Bratislava vs. APOEL Head to head
In the previous two encounters between these two teams, APOEL have claimed one victory while they have drawn once.
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26/07/2011APOEL0Slovan Bratislava0Champions League
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03/08/2011Slovan Bratislava0APOEL2Champions League
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07/08/2024N/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
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07/08/2024N/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
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07/08/2024Slovan BratislavaN/AAPOELN/AChampions League
Slovan Bratislava Team News
Slovan Bratislava’s main marksman so far this season is David Strelec, who has led the way in Champions League qualifying with three goals.
Experienced wingers Robert Mak and Vladimir Weiss – son and namesake of the hosts’ manager – will provide support in the final third.
Slovan Bratislava's Last 5 Matches
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17/07/2024Struga1Slovan Bratislava2Champions League
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24/07/2024Celje1Slovan Bratislava1Champions League
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27/07/2024Komarno1Slovan Bratislava4Super Liga
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30/07/2024Slovan Bratislava5Celje0Champions League
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03/08/2024Slovan Bratislava1Podbrezova0Super Liga
APOEL Team News
After his heroics in the previous round, Marquinhos will again feature in APOEL’s front three on Wednesday, when either Stefan Drazic or veteran striker Youssef El-Arabi should start up front.
Goalkeeper Vid Belec captained the side last time out, starting behind centre-backs Radosav Petrovic and Lasha Dvali, the latter of whom was involved in Georgia’s impressive run at Euro 2024.
APOEL's Last 5 Matches
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04/07/2024APOEL2Novi Pazar2Club Friendlies
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09/07/2024Radnicki Kragujevac1APOEL1Club Friendlies
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17/07/2024AEK Larnaca0APOEL0Club Friendlies
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23/07/2024APOEL1Petrocub0Champions League
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30/07/2024Petrocub1APOEL1Champions League
Slovan Bratislava vs. APOEL: Odds and Predictions
Main Prediction
Double Chance: Slovan Bratislava or X
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