Slovan Bratislava take on the visitors APOEL in the first leg semifinals of UEFA Champions League qualification. The match will be played on Wednesday, August 7th at Tehelné pole (Bratislava).
Slovan Bratislava, participating in the Champions League qualifiers for the sixth consecutive season, retained their Slovakian championship title last year but has yet to reach the crucial group stage, which will expand to 36 teams this year. In mid-July, the "Sky Blues" began their latest campaign with a first-round match against Struga, defeating the North Macedonian club with an aggregate score of 6-3, and then faced Slovenian club Celje. Head coach Vladimir Weiss, who previously managed the national team and is in his second stint with Slovan, secured a 1-1 away draw in the first match, followed by a 5-0 home victory in Bratislava when Celje were reduced to ten men. Former Spezia striker David Strelec scored in both matches and once again found the net for the capital club on the opening day of the Slovak Super Liga. With two wins from two matches and no losses in all competitions, Slovan will now face APOEL.
| 2 x £10 Free Bet | Review | |||
| 100$-500$ for No Lose Free Bets | Review | |||
| 100% up to £200 | Review | |||
| Not available | Review |
While Wednesday's home team has been a regular in recent European competitions, APOEL is making their first appearance on the main stage since losing to Basel in the Europa League Round of 32 in the 19-20 season. The Nicosia club previously reached the Champions League group stage four times – making it to the quarter-finals in 2012 – and qualified for the Europa League three times. Last season, APOEL returned to former glories, winning the Cypriot championship for a record 29th time, topping the playoff round after a dramatic draw with closest rivals AEK. Portuguese coach Ricardo Sa Pinto, who secured the title, led the club to first place in his only season, with the team excelling in both attack and defense, but now Spanish coach David Gallego has taken over. In their first Champions League qualifying matches, APOEL defeated Petrocub with an aggregate score of 2-1, with Brazilian forward Marquinhos scoring in both matches. After a strong performance in the previous round, Marquinhos will once again play in APOEL's front three on Wednesday, joined by either Stefan Dražić or veteran striker Youssef El-Arabi.
Slovan continues their confident progress in these qualifiers, having already won both home Champions League qualifying matches. Their vast experience should give them an edge in the first match on Wednesday. APOEL narrowly avoided defeat by a modest Moldovan club, progressing with very slim margins, similar to most of their pre-season games. Given Slovan's active scoring and winning form at home, the Cypriot team is unlikely to withstand the pressure, as evidenced by their recent qualifiers and pre-season matches where they regularly conceded goals. However, with each passing round, the teams get closer to the group stage, becoming more cautious. Therefore, a narrow home win or a draw with under 2.5 goals seems most likely.
Prediction for the match: Under 2.5 scored goals.
