Celje have been one of the pleasant surprises in this season’s Conference League campaign.

They’ve consistently performed above expectations, delivering strong displays against sides like Lugano, Jagiellonia, and APOEL all teams considered a level above them. In each of those matches, however, they also conceded at least two goals, relying heavily on their attacking output to outscore opponents.

A key factor in their success has been their standout striker, Lithuanian forward Kucys, who has been directly involved in 10 goals this season. Unfortunately for Celje, he’s currently sidelined with an injury, and his absence will be strongly felt in this clash against Fiorentina.

On the other side, Fiorentina seem to be hitting form at just the right time. After a dip earlier in the season, they’ve bounced back with four strong results most notably a 3-1 win over Panathinaikos in the Conference League. In Serie A, they’ve also held their own against top-tier competition, drawing 2-2 with Milan and securing impressive wins over Atalanta (1-0) and Juventus (3-0).