NK Celje vs Shelbourne — Match Preview
The final curtain of the League Phase falls at Stadion Z’dežele on Thursday, 18 December 2025. This is a match of contrasting fortunes. NK Celje, currently 12th with 9 points, are on the cusp of qualifying for the knockout rounds. A win here could potentially push them into the Top 8 for direct Round of 16 qualification, depending on other results. Conversely, Shelbourne sit 34th with just 1 point and a -7 goal difference. The Irish champions are already eliminated but will travel to Slovenia hoping to salvage pride and secure their first-ever group stage win before bowing out.
NK Celje vs Shelbourne — Match Info
- Competition: UEFA Conference League (League Phase – Matchday 6)
- Venue: Stadion Z’dežele, Celje (Capacity: 13,059)
- Date: Thursday, 18 December 2025
- Kickoff: 18:45 CET | 17:45 GMT | 23:15 IST
- Referee: TBC (UEFA Appointment)
NK Celje vs Shelbourne — Match Stakes
NK Celje (12th — 9 pts):
- Win → Moves to 12 pts; strong chance of Top 8 finish or high seeded playoff spot
- Draw → Secures playoff spot (Top 24) but risks dropping down the seeding order
- Loss → Unlikely to be eliminated, but damages seeding significantly
Shelbourne (34th — 1 pt):
- Win → Historic first group stage victory; moves to 4 pts (for pride/coefficient)
- Draw → A respectable result away from home to end the campaign
- Loss → Confirms a winless European campaign; 5 losses in 6 games
NK Celje vs Shelbourne — Team News
NK Celje:
- Karnicnik Z. — Out (Inactive – Key Defender)
- Zabukovnik M. — Out (Knee Injury)
- Sluga S. — Out (Inactive)
- Tutyskinas A. — Out (Red Card Suspension)
Shelbourne:
- Kearns C. — Out (Hamstring Injury – Starting GK Missing)
- Norris J. — Out (Red Card Suspension)
- Bone S. — Questionable (Calf Injury)
- Moore S. — Questionable (Groin Injury)
NK Celje vs Shelbourne — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)
NK Celje
- 12/12 — 0–3 vs Rijeka (UECL)
- 07/12 — 4–1 vs Primorje (PrvaLiga)
- 04/12 — 0–1 vs Olimpija Ljubljana (Cup)
- 30/11 — 1–1 vs Koper (PrvaLiga)
- 27/11 — 1–2 vs Sigma Olomouc (UECL)
Shelbourne
- 12/12 — 0–3 vs Crystal Palace (UECL)
- 27/11 — 0–2 vs AZ Alkmaar (UECL)
- 07/11 — 0–1 vs Drita (UECL)
- 01/11 — 0–0 vs St. Patrick’s Athletic (League)
- 26/10 — 3–2 vs Bohemians (League)
NK Celje vs Shelbourne — Head-to-Head (Last Meetings)
- No previous competitive meetings found.
- This is the first-ever clash between NK Celje and Shelbourne.
NK Celje vs Shelbourne — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)
NK Celje (4-3-3)
Leban; Nieto, Vuklisevic, Zec, Krefl; Bobicanec, Svetlin, Kvesic; Matko, Kucys, Brnic
Shelbourne (5-4-1)
Healy; Gannon, Barrett, Ledwidge, Griffin, Wilson; Caffrey, Coyle, Lunney, Wood; Boyd
NK Celje vs Shelbourne — Impact Bench
NK Celje: Edmilson (Physical striker), Poplatnik (Experienced goalscorer)
Shelbourne: Martin (Work rate), Coote (Attacking flair)
NK Celje vs Shelbourne — Tactical Analysis
NK Celje
Playing at home, Celje will dominate possession. Without Karnicnik on the right, they may focus their attacks down the left through Brnic. Aljosa Matko’s pace will be the primary weapon; he will look to drift inside and exploit the space behind Shelbourne’s wing-backs. Celje need to be patient against Shelbourne’s low block.
Shelbourne
Shelbourne are depleted, missing their first-choice goalkeeper (Kearns) and key defender (Norris). Backup keeper Lorcan Healy steps into the firing line. Damien Duff will likely instruct his team to sit very deep in a 5-4-1, hoping to frustrate Celje and nick a goal on the break via Sean Boyd’s hold-up play. However, their lack of goals (0 scored in 5 games) suggests they will struggle to threaten.
NK Celje vs Shelbourne — Key Battles
- Matko vs Wilson — pace mismatch on the flank
- Kucys vs Barrett — physical duel in the box
- Bobicanec vs Coyle — battle for midfield control
- Healy vs The Occasion — backup GK needs a huge performance
NK Celje vs Shelbourne — Spotlight Players
NK Celje — Aljosa Matko
The Slovenian winger is the creative hub of this team. With Shelbourne likely to defend deep, Matko’s dribbling and ability to shoot from distance will be vital to breaking the deadlock.
Shelbourne — Lorcan Healy
The backup goalkeeper faces the biggest game of his career. With Conor Kearns out, Healy must command his box against a Celje side that has scored 8 goals in the group stage.
NK Celje vs Shelbourne — Prediction
NK Celje 2–0 Shelbourne
Shelbourne have failed to score a single goal in the competition so far, and missing their starting goalkeeper makes a clean sheet unlikely. Celje have huge motivation to secure a high seeding for the knockouts. A comfortable home win is expected.
NK Celje vs Shelbourne — Betting Insights
- NK Celje to Win — High Probability
- Under 2.5 Goals — Possible (Shelbourne unlikely to score)
- NK Celje Clean Sheet — YES
NK Celje vs Shelbourne — Where to Watch
- Slovenia: Sportklub
- Ireland: Virgin Media, Premier Sports
- International: DAZN (Select markets)
NK Celje vs Shelbourne — FAQs
Q: When is the Celje vs Shelbourne match?
A: The match kicks off on Thursday, 18 December 2025, at 18:45 CET (local time).
Q: Is Conor Kearns playing for Shelbourne?
A: No. The starting goalkeeper is out with a hamstring injury. Lorcan Healy is expected to replace him.
Q: Has Shelbourne scored in the Conference League group stage?
A: No. Shelbourne have 0 goals scored in their 5 matches so far.
Q: Where is the match being played?
A: It will be played at Stadion Z’dežele in Celje, Slovenia.
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