Omonia Nicosia vs 16.09.26 16:451 – 0Full Time
Celta Vigo — UEFA Europa League: stats, lineups & analysis
Match report
Balkovec's late strike gives Omonia Nicosia win over Celta Vigo
Omonia Nicosia edged Celta Vigo 1-0 at GSP Stadium in the opening round of the UEFA Europa League league stage, with the only goal arriving deep into the second half to settle a tight contest between two sides searching for form.
AI-assisted match report written from official match data.
The match remained goalless through the interval and for long stretches afterwards, with Celta enjoying more of the ball but failing to convert their control into clear chances. It took until the 88th minute for a breakthrough, when Jure Balkovec found the net to put Omonia 1-0 ahead, a lead the home side would not relinquish.
Celta finished with more possession and generated a higher expected-goals figure across the ninety minutes, yet Omonia matched them shot for shot on target and made their limited opportunities count. Berke took charge of a match in which Celta picked up the game's only yellow card.
Balkovec produced the decisive contribution with his 88th-minute goal, earning the highest rating on the pitch at 8.3.
Despite Celta Vigo holding 54 percent of possession, it was Omonia Nicosia who made the breakthrough that decided the match.
Omonia Nicosia beat Celta Vigo 1–0 (half-time 0–0).
Omonia Nicosia met Celta Vigo in the UEFA Europa League (League Stage - 1). Kick-off was Wednesday, 16 September 2026, 16:45 UTC at GSP Stadium. Referee: Balazs Berke.
Team pages: Omonia Nicosia · Celta Vigo · UEFA Europa League
Key moments
- 88' Goal: Jure Balkovec — 1–0 · Watch Jure Balkovec's goal video (88')
Starting line-ups
Omonia Nicosia (4-2-3-1)
- 40 Fabiano (c)
- 29 Jure Balkovec
- 37 Ľubomír Šatka
- 5 Senou Coulibaly
- 93 Jean-Kévin Duverne
- 14 Mateo Marić
- 74 Panagiotis Andreou
- 7 Jaden Montnor
- 22 Muamer Tankovic
- 11 Ewandro
- 99 Loïs Diony
Celta Vigo (3-4-1-2)
Sirius · Why these numbers
Before kick-off Sirius gave Omonia Nicosia 36%, the draw 29%, Celta Vigo 35%. It finished Omonia Nicosia 1–0 Celta Vigo.
Anyone's game — Celta Vigo are the stronger side on our strength rating, and UEFA Europa League home advantage plus Omonia Nicosia's cold finishing due to recover is not enough to separate them. The draw at 29% is lifted by a low-scoring environment.
Why Omonia Nicosia at 36%?
Home ground, against the rating. Celta Vigo sit 197 points higher on our strength rating — 1624 to 1821. Sides with a 100–200-point rating edge on the road won 40.1% of 13,179 such games. UEFA Europa League home sides out-perform the global norm — and the difference mostly flows to draws (22.8% vs 24.9% norm). UEFA Europa League homes won 47.6% of 4,438 games vs 44.9% across all 100,233 — outside the noise band, so the tally moves accordingly. Omonia Nicosia sit -0.42 goals per game below chance-quality — cold streaks like this have bounced back. Finishing swings carry a receipt at this rating gap too: sides finishing this cold won 39.0% of 2,446 such games where the class table expected 36.3%.
Why only 36%?
Because Celta Vigo are the stronger side on our strength rating. The rest is the draw at 29% and Celta Vigo at 35%.
Why the draw at 29%?
With a rating gap this size the draw starts at 27.2%. These teams' recent games average 1.9 goals — a low-scoring environment. Games in that environment drew 28.1% of 18,218. The goals environment adds 3.3 points to the draw. UEFA Europa League produces fewer draws than most, taking 2.1 points off.
Sirius probabilities, frozen at kick-off. Analysis, not betting advice. How Sirius is doing this season · Full breakdown, evidence cards and squad news in the Match Insights tab
About this match
On this page: the Omonia Nicosia vs Celta Vigo final score and result, goal highlights and video clips of every goal, who scored, starting lineups, match stats and the full match report from this UEFA Europa League fixture.
- Who scored and when — a goal-by-goal timeline of the match.
- Match stats — possession, shots, expected goals (xG), corners and cards.
- Starting lineups and player ratings for both teams.
- Head-to-head record and recent form for both sides.
Watch the goals: goal highlights and video clips of every goal from Omonia Nicosia 1–0 Celta Vigo. Explore more on the Omonia Nicosia and Celta Vigo team pages or the UEFA Europa League page.
Quick answers
›What was the final score of Omonia Nicosia vs Celta Vigo?
Omonia Nicosia beat Celta Vigo 1–0 (half-time 0–0).
›Who scored in Omonia Nicosia vs Celta Vigo?
Jure Balkovec (88') for Omonia Nicosia.
›Where can I watch Omonia Nicosia vs Celta Vigo highlights?
Goal highlights and video clips from Omonia Nicosia 1–0 Celta Vigo are on this page — open the videos tab to watch every goal.