Christian Martínez struck in the 100th minute at Arena Z’dežele as Slovan Bratislava won the second leg 2-1 and advanced 3-2 on aggregate in the UEFA Champions League play-off round.
The first leg in Bratislava had ended 1-1, and the tie remained level deep into the night before Slovan found the decisive moment.
Andraž Šporar gave the visitors the lead in the 18th minute, Svit Sešlar brought NK Celje level from the penalty spot after 34 minutes, and normal time ended with the score still locked at 1-1. Christian Martínez eventually settled it in extra time, sending Slovan through and ending Celje’s involvement in the tie.
It was a measured rather than dominant away win. Celje had more of the ball and finished with more total shots, but Slovan were sharper when the tie turned and carried the greater accuracy in front of goal.
Martínez settles an extra-time second leg
Celje started with the urgency the situation demanded. Andrej Kotnik tested Dominik Takáč early, and the home side applied pressure before Slovan made the first meaningful breakthrough.
That breakthrough came in the 18th minute. Kenan Bajrić supplied the final ball and Šporar finished to put Slovan ahead on the night and in the tie, a reminder that Celje’s territorial pressure alone would not be enough if they continued to leave openings.
Celje did respond, and their equaliser arrived in the 34th minute when Sešlar converted from the spot. The goal restored parity on the night and across the tie, and the remainder of normal time carried that same tension: Celje pushing for another opening, Slovan looking dangerous whenever they broke the pressure.
Takáč remained important before the interval as Celje continued to test him, while Slovan still found late chances of their own after the restart. Roman Čerepkai forced openings late in normal time, and those moments mattered because they showed the visitors were still capable of turning the tie with one clean action.
Nino Marcelli’s introduction in the 73rd minute proved to be the key change. After replacing Tigran Barseghyan, he added fresh threat in the closing stages and then created the winner in the 100th minute, supplying Martínez for the finish that finally separated the teams.
Celje kept searching in extra time, but the final major disciplinary moment came too late to change the story. Kotnik was sent off in the 120th minute, by which point Slovan already had the goal they needed.
Šporar, Marcelli and Martínez make Slovan’s moments count
Slovan did not control the match through possession. They were more clinical in the decisive actions. Šporar’s early finish gave them the first edge, Bajrić’s assist punished Celje’s exposure, and Martínez delivered the goal that turned a level tie into qualification.
Marcelli’s contribution was especially valuable because it changed the rhythm of Slovan’s attacking threat at the point when the contest was tightening. Introduced in the 73rd minute, he was directly involved in the winning moment and gave the away side a fresher route forward once the game moved beyond 90 minutes.
The numbers supported that reading. Celje had more possession and outshot Slovan 21-15, yet Slovan still produced eight efforts on target and won eight corners. In a match that demanded composure in key moments rather than long spells of control, that sharper end product made the difference.
Takáč also deserves mention within that same picture. Slovan’s goalkeeper had to withstand periods of pressure, particularly before half-time, and his interventions allowed the visitors to stay level long enough for their attacking players to decide the tie later on.
Celje’s resistance falls short despite sustained pressure
Celje’s performance was not short of intent. The home side finished with 59% possession and repeatedly pushed Slovan back, with Sešlar’s penalty cancelling out Šporar’s opener and keeping the tie alive through the full 90 minutes.
The pressure continued after the interval and into extra time. Benjamin Verbič forced a late save, Leonardo Koutris tested Takáč again near the end, and Celje’s 21 shots reflected a side that kept trying to drag the match back towards them.
Yet the problem for Celje was that pressure never became the second equaliser they needed after Martínez scored. Slovan were more clinical in the moments that mattered, while Celje’s increasingly difficult finish was reflected in five yellow cards and, eventually, Kotnik’s late red card.
That dismissal should be read as the closing frustration of the night rather than the cause of the result. By then, the tie had already swung Slovan’s way.
What comes next for Slovan Bratislava and NK Celje?
Slovan Bratislava advance after a 3-2 aggregate victory, while NK Celje are out.
Slovan’s next confirmed fixture is away to Zemplín Michalovce on Sunday 30 August at 16:00 BST. They will take confidence from a result built on decisive contributions from Šporar, Marcelli and Martínez, even if the match also showed how much work was required without the ball.
Celje return to action at home to NK Brinje Grosuplje on Sunday 30 August at 17:00 BST. They can point to the pressure they created and the volume of chances they produced at Arena Z’dežele.
