Celje 2-0 Ararat-Armenia: Match Report and Tactical Analysis

Celje 2-0 Ararat-Armenia at Arena Z’dezele capped a controlled home performance in the UEFA Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round, with two late goals rewarding Vitor Campelos’ side for their territorial pressure and sharper use of wide areas. With no league standings data attached to this qualifier, the significance rests on the tie itself: Celje carry a clear advantage into the return leg, while Ararat-Armenia leave Slovenia knowing their margin for error has vanished.

Match Report

The game opened in a cagey rhythm, with both midfields compact and little space between the lines. The first flashpoint came on 19', when Alwyn Tera (Ararat-Armenia) was booked for a foul, signalling the visitors’ increasing reliance on tactical fouls to disrupt Celje’s build-up. In the same minute, Hugo Oliveira (Ararat-Armenia) also received a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct, underlining early defensive tension in Tulipa’s back line.

Celje’s aggression down the left soon drew disciplinary consequences of their own. On 32', Leonardo Koutris (Celje) was shown a yellow card for tripping, as he halted a potential transition after being caught high up the pitch.

Campelos adjusted at the break. On 46', Benjamin Verbič replaced Leonardo Koutris (Celje), a proactive attacking substitution that pushed Celje into a more front-foot 4-3-3, with Verbič offering extra penetration from wide areas.

Ararat-Armenia responded on 55', as Benny replaced Alwyn Tera (Ararat-Armenia), aiming to refresh central energy and add more vertical passing from midfield. However, Celje continued to tilt the pitch. Their defensive line stayed high, compressing play and forcing Ararat-Armenia into longer clearances rather than structured build-up.

The hosts’ intensity also brought further bookings. On 64', Artemijus Tutyskinas (Celje) was cautioned for tripping after stepping out of the back line aggressively. Two minutes later, on 66', Milot Avdyli (Celje) received a yellow card for holding, another sign of Celje’s willingness to foul early to prevent counters.

Campelos then doubled down on attacking changes. On 69', Yaya Dukuly replaced Pijus Širvys (Celje), adding more direct running and 1v1 threat from wide. In the same minute, Matej Poplatnik replaced Armandas Kučys (Celje), introducing a more traditional centre-forward profile to occupy the visiting centre-backs and create space for late runners.

Tulipa tried to re-balance his side on 73'. Maxence Carlier replaced Hugo Oliveira (Ararat-Armenia), and Franca Carlos replaced Artur Serobyan (Ararat-Armenia), effectively refreshing both the defensive and midfield lines in search of stability and ball progression. Yet by then, Celje’s territorial control and wave of crosses were beginning to tell.

On 78', Mark Zabukovnik (Celje) was booked for a foul, another indication of Celje’s aggressive counter-press whenever possession was lost high up the pitch. The pattern remained: Celje camped in the attacking half, Ararat-Armenia defending deeper and relying on sporadic breaks.

The breakthrough finally arrived on 83'. Celje goal — Yaya Dukuly (assisted by Milot Avdyli). A well-timed wide combination saw Avdyli release Dukuly, whose movement from the flank into the half-space exploited a tiring defensive unit. Dukuly’s finish reflected the impact of Celje’s substitutes and the cumulative pressure of their 12 corners.

Ararat-Armenia’s frustration grew immediately. On 84', Zidane Banjaqui (Ararat-Armenia) was shown a yellow card for a foul, symptomatic of a side now chasing the game and arriving late into challenges.

Celje then struck again just two minutes later. On 85', Celje goal — Benjamin Verbič (unassisted). Verbič, who had been introduced at half-time, capitalised on space in front of the back line, driving at a retreating defence before finishing clinically to make it 2-0. His directness and experience were exactly what Campelos had sought with his early change.

Verbič’s intensity also brought another disciplinary note. On 86', Benjamin Verbič (Celje) received a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct, a by-product of a now emotionally charged contest as Celje looked to lock down their advantage.

Ararat-Armenia made late attacking tweaks in search of an away goal. On 89', Alioune Ndour replaced Zidane Banjaqui (Ararat-Armenia), adding fresh legs up front. On 90', Juan A. Balanta replaced Karen Muradyan (Ararat-Armenia), pushing more offensive profiles onto the pitch and effectively loosening the midfield screen.

Celje’s final substitution came in added time, reinforcing their defensive structure. On 90+1', Ivan Ćalušić replaced Svit Sešlar (Celje), providing fresh defensive security to see out the closing moments. The hosts closed the game without further alarms, converting a long spell of pressure into a deserved 2-0 first-leg win.

Fixture Statistics & Tactical Audit

• xG: not available vs not available
• Possession: 50% vs 50%
• Shots on Target: 8 vs 3
• Goalkeeper Saves: not available vs not available
• Blocked Shots: 7 vs 4

With possession perfectly balanced at 50%-50%, the story of the match was written in shot quality and territorial control rather than raw ball retention. Celje produced 8 shots on target to Ararat-Armenia’s 3, and crucially registered 7 blocked shots to the visitors’ 4 — a sign of sustained pressure around the edge of the box and repeated shooting opportunities from advanced zones. Ararat-Armenia’s 3 efforts on target, alongside only 1 shot off target, point to a relatively low-volume attack that struggled to progress through Celje’s compact 4-3-3. The hosts’ 12 corners against Ararat-Armenia’s 9 further underline how often Celje forced the visitors to defend in their own third. Even without xG figures, the shot profile and blocked attempts strongly support the fairness of a two-goal margin, especially given how both Celje goals came after a period of mounting pressure and attacking substitutions.

Standings Update & Seasonal Impact

With no league-table standings data provided for either Celje or Ararat-Armenia, the immediate impact is framed solely in terms of Champions League qualification. Celje’s 2-0 home victory gives them a robust platform in this 3rd Qualifying Round tie: they travel to the second leg with a multi-goal cushion and a clean sheet, allowing them to manage game tempo and lean on their defensive structure. Ararat-Armenia, by contrast, face a demanding task: they must overturn a two-goal deficit without conceding, which will likely force them into a more expansive approach in the return fixture and expose them to the kind of counter-attacking scenarios that Celje’s substitutes exploited so effectively here.

Lineups & Personnel

Celje Starting XI

• GK: Žan-Luk Leban
• DF: Pijus Širvys, Artemijus Tutyškinas, Leonardo Koutris
• MF: Darko Hrka, Mario Kvesić, Mark Zabukovnik, Svit Sešlar, Matic Ivanšek, Milot Avdyli
• FW: Armandas Kučys

Ararat-Armenia Starting XI

• GK: João Bravim
• DF: Junior Julio, Bruno Wilson, Alexandros Malis, Edgar Grigoryan, Hugo Oliveira
• MF: Karen Muradyan, Alwyn Tera, Artur Serobyan, Zidane Banjaqui
• FW: Sandro Lima

Post-Match Verdict

This was a controlled Celje performance built on territorial dominance (8 shots on target and 7 blocked efforts) rather than overwhelming possession. Campelos’ in-game management was decisive: the introduction of Benjamin Verbič and Yaya Dukuly directly produced both goals, validating an aggressive substitution strategy that tilted the attacking balance even further in Celje’s favour. Defensively, despite accumulating five yellow cards, Celje’s fouling was largely tactical and effective in stifling Ararat-Armenia’s transitions, restricting the visitors to just 3 shots on target. For Ararat-Armenia, the display was ultimately too passive in the final third (only 4 blocked shots and 1 shot off target), with their late attacking changes arriving after Celje had already seized control of the scoreline. The 2-0 result reflects a home side that translated pressure into goals and an away side that never truly solved the problem of progressing through an organised, compact block.