Slovan Bratislava vs Saburtalo – 29 Jul 2026

Slovan Bratislava vs Saburtalo Tbilisi — UEFA Champions League Second Qualifying Round (2nd Leg)
29 July 2026, 18:15 UTC / 19:15 local | Národný Futbalový Štadión (Tehelné Pole), Bratislava

Slovan Bratislava host Saburtalo Tbilisi with the tie already all but wrapped up after a 2-0 first-leg win in Georgia. Saburtalo need a near-perfect performance just to force extra time, and little in the numbers suggests they're equipped for it.

First-leg recap:
Yaya Touré's managerial bow for Slovan couldn't have gone much better — goals from Andraž Šporar and Alasana Yirajang inside the first half gave the Slovak champions a cushion, and they comfortably managed the rest of the game to secure a clean-sheet win in Tbilisi.

Form heading in:
Slovan reached this stage needing just one match, and Touré's side will feel little pressure heading into the return leg on home soil. Artur Gajdoš is pushing for a start after two assists helped Slovan to a league win over the weekend, though Manasse Kianga — who scored and assisted in that game — hasn't been named in the squad, ruling him out until at least the next round. Tigran Barseghyan and Nino Marcelli remain doubts after missing the first leg through injury, though Marcelli has been named in the squad this time.

Saburtalo arrive having already played three qualifying matches this season with a mixed record — scoring five and conceding six, including that first-leg defeat, and failing to score in one of those three outings. A defence that has shipped six goals in three games gives Slovan's attacking players plenty of room to work with. Amiran Dzagania, Jemali-Giorgi Jinjolava and Vakho Bedoshvili carry the visitors' main goal threat based on their domestic form, but they'll need something well out of the ordinary in Bratislava.

Prediction & odds:
Slovan are heavy favourites to close out the tie, priced around -238 (roughly 1.42) to win on the night, with the double chance of Slovan-or-draw effectively ruling out a Saburtalo win from the bookmakers' perspective. Expect Slovan to control proceedings again — a routine, comfortable passage into the third qualifying round looks the most likely outcome, with Saburtalo's best hope being a consolation goal to end the tie with some credit.