Ararat-Armenia and Celje meet on Tuesday in the first leg of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round. The match will be staged at the neutral Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, with both clubs attempting to move closer to a first appearance in the competition’s main draw. The winner of this two-legged contest will advance to face either Hapoel Be’er Sheva or Red Star Belgrade in the play-off round, while the defeated side will transfer to the UEFA Europa League play-offs. Ararat-Armenia have already survived two close qualifying ties, whereas Celje reached this stage through a penalty shootout after drawing both legs of their previous round.

Ararat-Armenia Recent Form and Key Statistics

Ararat-Armenia began their European campaign in the first qualifying round and have since eliminated two opponents. They overcame Riga by a 4-3 aggregate score before defeating Shamrock Rovers 3-2 across two legs. Both ties were decided by narrow overall margins, highlighting the importance of the Armenian club’s performances as the designated home side.
Ararat-Armenia recorded 2-0 victories in the home leg of each of those qualifying rounds. Those results ultimately proved decisive, giving the team enough of an advantage to progress despite the pressure experienced over the complete ties. Repeating that kind of first-leg performance would put the hosts in a strong position ahead of the return fixture against Celje.
Their latest match produced another victory, with Ararat-Armenia beating Gandzasar 4-3 on August 1, 2026. That result took their recent record to three wins and two defeats from five matches. Across that sequence, they averaged 2.2 goals scored and 1.6 conceded per game, figures which indicate that their fixtures have contained regular attacking output as well as defensive vulnerability.
In this season’s Champions League qualifiers, Ararat-Armenia have registered two wins and two losses, averaging 1.8 goals scored and 1.3 conceded. Their early-match pattern is more restrained: at least one team failed to score before half-time in 29 of their last 31 matches. The challenge will therefore be to combine their productive recent attack with the control that previously helped them secure two valuable 2-0 home-leg wins.

Celje Recent Form and Key Statistics

Celje entered the Champions League in the second qualifying round and needed penalties to eliminate Egnatia. Both legs ended level, continuing a run in which the Slovenian side have repeatedly avoided defeat without finding a way to win inside 90 minutes. Their latest domestic fixture followed the same pattern, ending in a 1-1 draw against Maribor on August 1, 2026.
That result was Celje’s fifth consecutive draw within regulation time. Their last-five-match record stands at no wins, five draws and no defeats, with averages of 1.6 goals scored and 1.6 conceded. The sequence demonstrates their resilience, but it also shows how difficult it has been for them to turn competitive displays into victories.
Celje’s Champions League figures contain two draws from two matches, with averages of 2.0 goals scored and 2.0 conceded. Their broader scoring record is particularly consistent, as they have found the net in each of their last 15 games. Furthermore, each of their previous 11 matches has produced more than 1.5 total goals.
The visitors also bring an encouraging European away record into this contest. They have won five of their last eight away matches in European competition, alongside one draw and two defeats. At least one first-half goal has been scored in each of Celje’s previous 11 away games, while they have led at the interval in seven of their last ten away fixtures. Across all venues, at least one first-half goal has occurred in their last 24 matches, and Celje have been ahead at half-time in 13 of their previous 21 games.

Ararat-Armenia vs Celje Match Analysis

This first leg brings together two teams with contrasting recent records. Ararat-Armenia have won three of their last five matches but have also suffered two defeats, while Celje are unbeaten across their latest five games but have drawn every one of them. The hosts therefore arrive with more recent victories, while the visitors have shown a consistent ability to remain competitive.
Ararat-Armenia’s two earlier home-leg victories offer one of the clearest reference points. They defeated both Riga and Shamrock Rovers 2-0 in those matches, and the advantages established there were essential to their eventual progress. Although this fixture is being played at a neutral venue, the Armenian side will again understand the value of taking a positive result into the second leg.
Celje’s scoring sequence means the hosts will face a side that has registered at least one goal in 15 consecutive matches. At the same time, the visitors have conceded an average of 1.6 goals across their last five outings, exactly matching their scoring average during that period. Ararat-Armenia have been even more productive over their corresponding five-game sample, scoring 2.2 goals per match while allowing 1.6.
The first-half statistics create another notable contrast. Ararat-Armenia have frequently been involved in matches where at least one side remained scoreless before the interval, whereas Celje’s last 24 fixtures have all contained a first-half goal. Celje have also led at half-time in seven of their last ten away matches, making the opening stages an important part of this Champions League preview.
The clubs’ most recent head-to-head meeting finished 0-0 on September 24, 2020. However, the current statistical picture is shaped by Ararat-Armenia’s high-scoring recent win, their productive five-match average and Celje’s long scoring run. With qualification still to be settled over two legs, the first encounter offers both sides an opportunity to establish an advantage before the return match.