Celje vs RB Salzburg 22 October 2026 Prediction

Both teams are looking to bounce back from heavy losses on Matchday 2. Celje lost 3-0 at home to Omonia and have yet to earn a point. Red Bull Salzburg fell 4-0 at home to AC Milan but have three points from their opening win. This match matters to both teams’ prospects in the Europa League league phase.

Celje’s Attacking Struggles

Celje have won just once in five matches under manager Zoran Zeljkovic, beating Aluminij 1-0 at home in the domestic league. They followed that result with a 3-0 Europa League loss to Omonia and a 0-0 away draw against Maribor.

Celje are one of only three teams yet to score after two league-phase matches, along with Sturm Graz and Lech Poznań. Their scoring problems extend to the domestic league, where they have drawn a blank in two of their last three games. Against Omonia, Celje managed two shots on target and 0.89 expected goals (xG). They put four shots on target against Maribor. Their defense has been more reliable: Celje have kept clean sheets in three of their last four matches.

Red Bull Salzburg’s Inconsistent Attack and Solid Defense

Red Bull Salzburg opened the league phase with a 1-0 win away to Levski. They took the lead in the first half, then focused on protecting it after the break. Levski created 0.93 xG from 14 shots but failed to put any on target. Salzburg were then outplayed in a 4-0 loss to AC Milan, finishing with two shots on target to Milan’s 10 and 0.81 xG to Milan’s 3.38.

The Milan result stands apart from Salzburg’s recent defensive record. They have kept clean sheets in four of their last five competitive matches. Their attack has been less consistent: Salzburg have scored more than once in only two of their last six games across all competitions and failed to score twice in that span.

Salzburg beat Altach 3-0 in the league ahead of this match. Manager Danny Röhl made just one change to the starting lineup from the Milan game, bringing in Diakité for Kitano in attacking midfield. Diakité did not make a strong case to keep his place and is unlikely to start in Slovenia.

Predicted Lineup: Celje vs Red Bull Salzburg

Celje (4-3-3): Leban – Bejger, Žužek, Tutyshkin, Avdyuli – Tičić, Daniel, Zabukovnik – Dukuli, Kramer, Šešlar

Unavailable: Pišek (injury)

Manager: Zoran Zeljkovic

Red Bull Salzburg (4-2-3-1): Zawieschitzky – Morgalla, Boma, Zabransky, Schmid – Barry, Mazurek – Lindstrøm, Kitano, Baidoo – Tabakovic

Unavailable: Veratschnig, Diabaté, Omorégie, Aguilar, Konaté (all injured)

Manager: Danny Röhl

Referee: John Brooks (England)

In his last 11 European club matches, Brooks has averaged 4.18 yellow cards and 25.73 fouls per game. He has not shown a red card in that span and has awarded four penalties.

Celje vs Red Bull Salzburg Prediction: Celje or Draw at 2.33

Main pick: Celje have a chance to take points at home despite their recent form. They have lost only two of their last 10 European home matches, winning five. Salzburg have won just one of their last three competitive games and only two of their last eight European away matches. The pick is Celje or draw at 2.33.

Goals pick: Neither side has scored consistently. Celje have yet to find the net in the league phase, producing 1.74 xG across two matches, and have scored no more than once in each of their last seven competitive games. Salzburg have scored three goals in their last three competitive matches. Both teams have also kept regular clean sheets: Celje in three of their last four games and Salzburg in four of their last five. The pick is under 2.5 goals at 2.30.