In the Round of 16 of the Conference League on February 26, 2026, the return leg between Celje and Drita will take place. The hosts only need a draw to advance further.
The Slovenian side failed to retain the championship in 2025, but sweetened the fall to fourth place with a domestic cup victory. This season, they were confidently among the leaders, but lost their head coach, Riera, who left for the Bundesliga. Meanwhile, the Kosovars finally returned to the top spot in their national league for the first time since 2020 and are striving to stay there.
This summer, the current hosts started out in the Europa League, defeating Sabah but then losing to AEK Larnaca. However, they surprised in the less prestigious European competition, knocking out Lugano and Banik in succession. They also began the main round with three wins. But later, their results worsened: they lost to Sigma and Rijeka, and drew 0-0 with Shelbourne.
The club from Gjilan began in July with a Champions League win over Differdange. But then they lost to Copenhagen, and right after, to FCSB in the Europa League. At least in the current tournament they proved competitive. First, in the qualifiers, they again upset the Luxembourgers. Then, in the main round, they had two draws and two wins, so even after losing 0-3 to AZ and Rayo Vallecano at the end, the Kosovars advanced to the playoffs. There, they came back from 0-2 at home but still lost due to a goal in the 90+ minute.
Celje vs Drita: Key Stats and Trends
Celje have lost two of their last four matches
The team scores an average of 1.91 goals per game and concedes 1.18
Drita have lost three matches in a row
The club scores an average of 0.7 goals per game and concedes 1.40
Celje vs Drita: Possible Starting Lineups
Celje (possible lineup): Leban – Nieto, Tutishkin, Hrka, Beyger – Kvesic, Calusic, Seslar – Iosifov, Kuchis, Avdili
Drita (possible lineup): Maloku – Ovuka, Pelumbi, Beytulai, Krasniqi – Dabikaj, Limaj, Ngwena, Tusha, Aizeraj – Abazaj
Previous Matches: Celje vs Drita
The clubs have not played each other before, not even in friendly matches.
