Egnatia and Celje share six goals in a Champions League qualifier

Egnatia and Celje drew 3-3 in their Champions League second qualifying round opener. The match delivered six goals and three changes to the score.

Mario Kvesic scored twice for Celje after an early own goal. Armandas Kucys added their other goal. Fernando Medeiros and Ibrahim Diabate completed Egnatia’s reply.

An early corner gives Egnatia the lead

Egnatia started quickly at Arena Egnatia and earned an early corner. Papa Daniel diverted the delivery into his own net after six minutes.

The own goal gave the Albanian champions an immediate advantage. Celje then spent time rebuilding possession through Daniel and Svit Seslar.

Egnatia protected central space and waited for loose passes. Celje reached the final third without producing an early equaliser.

Mario Kvesic tested the home defence from a free kick after thirty-six minutes. His attempt passed narrowly beside the right post.

Celje continued pressing before the interval. A late corner again placed Egnatia’s defence under pressure.

Seslar delivered the ball, and Egnatia failed to complete the clearance. Kvesic reacted first and scored the equaliser before half-time.

Kucys and Kvesic put Celje ahead twice

The visitors carried that momentum into the second half. Leonardo Koutris advanced on the left and sent a cross toward Armandas Kucys.

Kucys completed the move in the fifty-fourth minute. His finish changed the score from 1-1 to a 2-1 Celje lead.

The advantage lasted only five minutes. Fernando Medeiros scored Egnatia’s second goal and made the score 2-2.

Celje answered again through Kvesic after sixty-six minutes. The midfielder scored his second goal and placed Celje ahead once more.

Kvesic had now influenced both sides of the interval. His first goal cancelled the own goal before his second restored Celje’s advantage.

The visitors also created another opening after the third goal. Egnatia remained close enough to respond during the final quarter.

Diabate secures Egnatia’s second comeback

Celje goalkeeper Zan-Luk Leban made an important save after seventy-three minutes. The stop prevented Egnatia from scoring its third goal at that moment.

The home side continued attacking instead of accepting the narrow deficit. Ibrahim Diabate then reached a scoring position inside the area.

Diabate equalised in the seventy-eighth minute. His finish produced Egnatia’s second comeback during the same half.

Both teams still searched for another goal. Celje came closest when Daniel struck the post near the end.

The final whistle confirmed a 3-3 draw. Egnatia scored first, while Celje held two separate leads after half-time.

Each side converted three major moments. No lead lasted until the final whistle.

Vuklisevic later accepted that Celje had started poorly. He also pointed to another goal conceded from a set piece.

The defender praised the team’s attacking output but criticised the repeated defensive errors. Celje had also conceded twice in its league opener.

Egnatia’s recovery supported that assessment. Celje made several mistakes, and Egnatia turned them into chances.

The starting teams stayed focused on attack

Celje started with Leban behind Koutris, Damjan Vuklisevic, Darko Hrka and Aboubacar Diounkou. Daniel protected the area ahead of that line.

Kvesic and Seslar supplied passing through midfield. Milot Avdyli and Dukuly supported Kucys in attack.

Kucys left the field after sixty-nine minutes. Andrej Kotnik entered during the same group of Celje changes.

Pijus Sirvys also joined the defence. Edmilson Tusha and Aljaz Zabukovnik arrived for the final part.

The match attracted almost three thousand spectators. Home supporters saw Egnatia recover twice after falling behind.

Celje’s travelling fans also remained visible after full time. The players acknowledged them before leaving the pitch.

The tie moves to Celje at level score

Egnatia entered this round after beating Petrocub across two matches. A draw in Moldova preceded a clear home victory.

The home leg against Petrocub ended 6-1. Egnatia therefore arrived with recent scoring form at the same stadium.

Celje entered as the reigning Slovenian champions. Their first European match of the season produced three away goals.

The return game is scheduled for 28 July in Celje. The aggregate score starts that evening at 3-3.

No away-goals rule separates the teams. A winner over the complete tie advances to the third qualifying round.

The next opponent comes from Shamrock Rovers and Ararat-Armenia. That separate tie also finishes before the third round.

The first match left no advantage on the scoreboard. Kvesic’s two goals and Egnatia’s two comebacks defined the evening.

Six goals created an open result without deciding the contest. The second match now determines which champion continues in the competition.

Celje scored three times from separate attacks. Egnatia answered every deficit and preserved the level aggregate score.

Both teams scored once before half-time and twice after the interval.

The competition uses aggregate scoring without an away-goals tiebreaker.