NK Celje vs Shelbourne Prediction and Betting Tips | December 18th 2025

NK Celje will host Shelbourne at Arena Z’dezele on Thursday in the final round of the 2025-26 UEFA Conference League league phase. The hosts will be looking to get maximum points and hope it will be enough to book them a place in the round of 16.

Celje created a decent number of chances but failed to convert any as they fell to a 3-0 defeat against Croatian side Rijeka in their last continental fixture, leaving them with three wins and two losses from five games played.

The Slovenian side is one of five teams tied on nine points, just one point behind the top eight. They will need to secure maximum points this week and rely on favorable results elsewhere to earn a top-eight finish; otherwise, they will have to settle for knockout playoffs qualification

Shelbourne have had an abysmal return to European action after more than two decades away, losing four and drawing one of their five league phase games, and currently sit just two places from the bottom of the table. The Irish side were thoroughly outplayed by Crystal Palace in their last game, losing 3-0, but will go into Thursday’s match hoping to put up a solid performance for their travelling fans and bow out of the tournament on a positive note.

NK Celje vs Shelbourne Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

• Thursday's game will mark the first ever meeting between the two sides.
• Celje have played against Irish opposition four times, registering three wins and a loss.
• Shelbourne have lost both of their previous two meetings with Slovenian opposition.
• Both teams have conceded seven goals each across their five games in the Conference League this season.
• The visitors have the worst offensive record in the competition having failed to register a single goal after five games played.

NK Celje vs Shelbourne Prediction

Grofje are heavy favourites and will only need to avoid complacency to secure a win in front of their home fans.

The Reds face a mountain to climb if they are to avoid defeat against a side in much better form in Europe and with considerably more quality.

Prediction: NK Celje 3-0 Shelbourne

NK Celje vs Shelbourne Betting Tips

Tip 1 - Result: Celje

Tip 2 - Goals - Over/under 2.5 - Over 2.5 goals (Three of the hosts’ last five games have featured more than 2.5 goals)

Tip 3 - Both teams to score: No (Shelbourne have failed to get on the scoresheet in each of their last four games)

Edited by Ashwin