Slovan Bratislava vs APOEL Nicosia
UEFA Champions League, KO: 19:30 Aug 7, 2024, Stadion Tehelne pole
SLOVAN BRATISLAVA and APOEL Nicosia square off in a Champions League third round qualifying clash on Wednesday. Slovan have impressed in recent weeks and should have the upper hand over APOEL, who have been a bit unconvincing.
Slovan Bratislava were in rampant mood in the previous round as they eased past Celje, 6-1 on aggregate. Having held out for a 1-1 draw in the first leg, they cruised to a 5-0 victory in the return fixture at home.
That result highlights Slovan Bratislava’s fine start to the season as they are yet to taste defeat across all competitions so far. Vladimir Weiss’ men have claimed five wins from six matches and picked up a 1-0 victory over Podbrezova in a Slovak Super Liga fixture last weekend.
APOEL Nicosia’s progress to the third qualifying round was not as smooth, as they were made to work hard by Petroclub before claiming a 2-1 aggregate victory. They earned a 1-0 victory at home before holding out for a 1-1 draw in the second leg.
With the Cypriot First Division yet to kick off, APOEL Nicosia have mostly been playing friendlies, with the win over Petroclub representing their only competitive outing. David Gallego’s men have picked up just one win from their last five matches across all competitions.
How the bookies view it: Bookies backing Slovan
Slovan have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 23/20 by Betfred to claim the win. A victory for APOEL Nicosia is valued at 23/10 while Betfred is also offering odds of 21/10 for a draw.
Head to head: APOEL with the edge
Both teams met during the 2011/2012 Champions league qualifiers with APOEL Nicosia holding out for a 0-0 draw at home before winning 2-0 at Slovan Bratislava.
Players to watch: Strelec to lead Slovan’s attack
David Strelec has impressed for Slovan Bratislava this season and scored three goals across two legs against Celje. With Robert Mak and Juraj Kucka also looking sharp, Slovan could be backed to produce over 1.5 goals at 5/4 with Betfred.
APOEL Nicosia have also shown some attacking verve of their own, particularly with Marquinhos, who scored in both legs against Petroclub. With Stefan Drazic also featuring in attack, APOEL could be backed to produce over 0.5 goals at 4/9 with Betfred.
Probable line-ups
David Strelec was a second half substitute in Slovan Bratislava’s win over Podbrezova last weekend and should return to the starting line-up on Wednesday. Robert Mak and Juraj Kucka are also expected to feature.
Marquinhos is expected to feature for APOEL Nicosia once again, following his goal last time out. Youssef El Arabi could also be handed a start after coming off the bench at Petroclub.
Slovan Bratislava: Takac, Zuberu, Wimmer, Kashia, Blackman, Tolic, Bajric, Kucka, Weiss, Mak, Strelec
APOEL Nicosia: Belec, Susic, Petrovic, Dvali, Xavi Quintilla, Sarfo Sergio Tejera, Kostadinov, Marquinhos, El Arabi, Drazic
Anything else catch the eye?
Both teams have quality in attack and could be backed to score at 5/6 with Betfred. Over 2.5 goals could also be considered at 11/10 by Betfred, who is also offering odds of 11/4 for over 3.5 goals.
Slovan Bratislava has scored in both halves in their two Champions League home matches and could be set for a repeat at 5/2 with Betfred.
This UEFA Champions League match between Slovan Bratislava and APOEL Nicosia will be played on Aug 7, 2024 and kick off at 19:30. Check below for our tipsters best Slovan Bratislava vs APOEL Nicosia prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
