Fenerbahce take on the visitors Benfica in the first leg of UEFA Champions League Qualification final round. The match will be played on Wednesday, August 20th at Ulker Stadium Şükrü Saracoğlu (Istanbul).
Fenerbahçe are hoping for a long-awaited breakthrough. The Canaries recently managed to win a domestic cup, but they have not lifted the league title since 2014. Nothing has changed in that regard under Mourinho — at least not for the better. His first major setback in Istanbul was elimination from the Champions League qualifiers. After that came further exits from other competitions and a noticeable gap behind Galatasaray in the Süper Lig. Nevertheless, “The Special One” has so far kept his job. He also received several reinforcements — Duran, Brown, and Semedo, plus Škriniar was signed permanently after his loan spell. On the other hand, experienced leaders Džeko and Tadić departed. Even without them, Fenerbahçe managed to overcome Feyenoord in the previous Champions League qualifying round: after losing 1-2 in Rotterdam, they turned it around in Istanbul with a dominant 5-2 victory. Their latest league win over Göztepe showed that the team are beginning to find rhythm in attack.
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Benfica, under Roger Schmidt, won the Primeira Liga in 2023. But they were dethroned by their city rivals Sporting, losing not only the title race but also the domestic cup. Still, there were successes along the way. Last winter, Trubin and company lifted the League Cup, and after the summer break (shortened by their participation in the Club World Cup, where they lost to Chelsea only after extra time), they also claimed the Super Cup by winning another derby. Meanwhile, they refreshed their squad: Ángel Di María left, Carreras was sold for a profit, and in came Obrador, Dedić, Barrenechea, Ríos, and Franjo Ivanović. Benfica started their Champions League campaign strongly against Nice, considered a tough opponent. The Portuguese side won both legs 2-0, showing their defensive solidity and attacking efficiency. Their most recent league win over Estrela Amadora confirmed their good form at the start of the season.
In six official meetings, results have been almost equal: three wins and two defeats for the Reds. Just last month, in a friendly match, Bruno Lage’s men beat Fenerbahçe 3-2. On paper, the teams are very close, with bookmakers giving a slight edge to Benfica. However, Fenerbahçe are always strong at home, and with their attacking momentum, they look capable of holding their ground. The value bet here is on the Turks with a “0” handicap (draw no bet).
Prediction for the match: Fenerbahce to win with 0.0 handicap.
