Celje Strike Late to Beat Ararat-Armenia 2-0 in Champions League Qualifier

Celje Score Twice Late to Defeat Ararat-Armenia

Celje struck twice in the closing stages to defeat Ararat-Armenia 2-0 in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round at Arena Z’dezele. After more than 80 minutes without a goal, Y. Dukuly and B. Verbic settled the match with a rapid late double on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.

Celje Secure Champions League Qualifying Victory

Celje secured a 2-0 victory in front of their home supporters, with both goals arriving during the final seven minutes of normal time. The result gives the Slovenian side a valuable winning outcome after entering the match with recent form of draw, win and loss, listed from most recent.

Ararat-Armenia could not build on a sequence of win, loss, win, loss and win in their previous five matches. No standings data was available for either team, so the direct impact on their league positions cannot be established, but Celje clearly finished the evening with the stronger result and momentum from the contest.

Goalless Match Turns in Closing Stages

The match remained goalless until the 83rd minute, making the late change in scoreline the defining feature of the game. Neither side had found a breakthrough during the opening 82 minutes, and the contest appeared finely poised before Celje finally opened the scoring.

Once ahead, Celje quickly took control of the result rather than allowing Ararat-Armenia time to respond. Verbic’s second goal arrived only two minutes after Dukuly’s opener, turning a tight 1-0 advantage into a decisive 2-0 lead and leaving the visitors with little time to recover.

Dukuly and Verbic Deliver Decisive Goals

Y. Dukuly broke the deadlock in the 83rd minute with a normal goal assisted by M. Avdyli. The combination provided the crucial opening for Celje, with Avdyli making a direct attacking contribution before later receiving a yellow card.

B. Verbic then doubled the hosts’ advantage in the 85th minute, completing a swift two-goal burst. His goal confirmed Celje’s late efficiency, while his subsequent booking in the 86th minute added a disciplinary note to an otherwise decisive personal contribution.

Bookings Shape a Physical Contest

The referee, Marco Guida of Italy, issued two early yellow cards to Ararat-Armenia, with A. Tera and H. Oliveira both cautioned in the 19th minute. Celje’s L. Koutris was booked in the 32nd minute as the match developed a physical edge.

The second half brought further cautions for A. Tutyskinas, M. Avdyli and M. Zabukovnik, in the 64th, 66th and 79th minutes respectively, before Verbic was booked after scoring. There were no reported red cards, and Celje maintained its two-goal advantage through the closing moments.