Slovan Bratislava secured a spot in the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase after defeating NK Celje 2–1 in extra time during their playoff second leg. Following a 1–1 draw in the opening fixture, Cristian Martinez delivered the decisive goal in the 100th minute to push the Slovakian champions through, according to match reports from laola1.com.
Early Pressure and Opening Goals in Celje
NK Celje started the match on the front foot, putting the visiting defense under immediate pressure during the opening exchanges. Despite the early dominance from the Slovenian champions, Slovan struck first against the run of play in the 18th minute. Andraz Sporar broke through the backline and chipped the ball neatly over Celje goalkeeper Zan-Luk Leban to open the scoring.
Celje refused to back down and continued to search for an equalizer, repeatedly testing Slovan goalkeeper Dominik Takac. The pressure eventually paid off in the 34th minute when Svit Seslar converted a penalty kick past Takac to level the score at 1–1.
Wild Closing Stages in Regulation
The second half saw Bratislava take firmer control of the tempo, though Celje remained dangerous on the break. Yaya Dukuly struck the post in the 67th minute, squandering a clear chance to give the hosts the lead. As regulation time wound down, both sides squandered golden opportunities to avoid extra time.
In the 89th minute, Roman Cerepkai nearly snatched a late winner for Slovan with a header directed toward the top corner, but Leban pulled off a spectacular save to palm the ball away. Almost immediately at the other end, Armandas Kucys missed a close-range chance for Celje, leaving the score locked at 1–1 after 90 minutes.
Extra-Time Heroics and Wimmer’s Late Appearance
Entering extra time, Slovan found an extra gear of stamina. In the 100th minute, Martinez capitalized on a swift counter-attack, beating the Celje defense and once again chipping Leban with a delicate finish to make it 2–1. Bratislava successfully managed the remaining minutes to secure the aggregate victory.
Austrian international Kevin Wimmer spent nearly the entire fixture on the bench for Slovan before entering the match as a late substitute in the 120th minute. The result marks Slovan Bratislava’s second qualification for the Champions League league phase, following their previous appearance in the 2024/25 tournament.
European Implications for Both Clubs
While Slovan advances to the lucrative Champions League league phase, the playoff defeat ends Celje’s historic bid for a maiden appearance in Europe’s premier club competition. The Slovenian club will instead continue their European campaign in the UEFA Europa League league phase.
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