Cristian Martinez flick sends Slovan Bratislava into the Champions League
Slovan Bratislava are through to the Champions League group stage after Cristian Martinez scored a flick over the goalkeeper in extra time to settle a play-off against Celje that finished 3-2 on aggregate. The second leg took place on 26 August 2026 in Celje, Slovenia, with the tie deadlocked after 90 minutes of the return fixture.
The first leg had ended 1-1 in Bratislava a week earlier, leaving everything to play for. Both sides pushed hard in the second leg, and neither could find a winner inside the standard 90 minutes — so the match went to extra time, the additional 30 minutes used when knockout ties are still level.
That was when Martinez produced the moment. Reaching a ball ahead of the onrushing Celje goalkeeper, he lifted a delicate flick over him and into the net, the kind of finish that looks simple only because the execution was perfect. Slovan held on through what remained of extra time to seal their place in the competition proper.
The Champions League play-offs are the final qualifying hurdle before the group stage — the phase of the tournament where Europe's biggest clubs enter and the league structure begins. Slovan had already navigated earlier rounds to reach this tie. Celje, the Slovenian champions, had pushed them far closer than many expected.
The two clubs had met once before, in the 2024/25 qualifying rounds, when Slovan won 6-1 across two legs. This time Celje were a different proposition — organised, stubborn, and a goal away from advancing themselves for long stretches of the tie.
For Slovan, the reward is a place among Europe's elite. The group stage brings guaranteed matches against the continent's top sides and the financial windfall that comes with them. For a club from Slovakia's top division, that matters enormously — not just for prestige but for the resources it unlocks.
What made the night special was the manner of it. A flick over a goalkeeper in extra time is the stuff of street football — instinctive, bold, a little bit reckless. That it decided a Champions League qualification tie gave it a grandeur the technique alone could not. Martinez will not score many more important goals, and few will look as effortless.
For Celje, there is only disappointment now, but they pushed a side that had beaten them 6-1 just a season ago to within inches of penalties. That progress deserves to be remembered.
