AEK Athens suffered a shock 0-2 home defeat to NK Publikum Celje in the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League knockout round clash at the OPAP Arena. The Slovenian visitors secured a famous European victory that puts them firmly in the driver's seat to reach the next round. Celje stunned the home crowd with an early goal, scoring from a well-worked set-piece within the opening twenty minutes. AEK Athens, heavy favorites before the match, struggled to break down a disciplined and organized Celje defense throughout the first half. The Greek side increased the pressure after the break but were caught on a devastating counter-attack, with Celje doubling their lead with about fifteen minutes remaining. AEK's night was summed up when they struck the post in the dying moments, a miss that could prove costly for their tie prospects. The standout performance came from the Celje goalkeeper, who made a series of crucial saves to preserve the clean sheet. This result is a major upset and represents one of the biggest wins in Celje's European history. The AEK manager admitted his team underperformed, stating, "We were not sharp enough in the final third, and we were punished for our mistakes. We have a mountain to climb now." The Celje coach was ecstatic, saying, "This is an historic night for our club. The players followed the tactics perfectly and showed incredible heart." AEK's starting team included Stanković, Rota, Mitoglou, Moukoudi, Hajsafi, Jonsson, Pineda, Gacinović, Zuber, Ponce, and Garcia.