Fenerbahce host Stuttgart in the third round of the Europa League after both sides achieved identical starts and sit near the bottom of the promotion group.
Fenerbahce’s form has improved in the days since Mourinho’s sacking, although they have much to prove on the road, as most wins happened at the Ulker Stadium. Last round’s clutch win over Nice is part of a longer three-match win streak at home, and knowing how difficult it has been for any team to play in Istanbul, it is quite possible the streak continues on Thursday.
To back these claims, we can say that Fenerbahce lost only three of their last 25 international home matches at home. This, and new coach Domenico Tedesco’s experience as a manager at RB Leipzig and Schalke can give the Yellow Canaries a certain degree of confidence ahead of the clash with Stuttgart.
But the Swabians may have different ideas, as they won seven of their last eight competitive fixtures across all competitions, with the exception being their 2-0 loss to Basel in the previous round. Stuttgart are cemented in the Top 4 of the Bundesliga and also boast one of the best defensive records in the league. But while their home record is flawless, the Reds suffered all of their losses this season on the road.
How the bookies view it: Playing in Istanbul is a nightmare for everyone
Bookmakers certainly had a hard time deciding on the odds for this fixture, but the final decision gave Fenerbahce a slight edge. You can back the hosts at 13/10, while Stuttgart are available at 19/10. The draw is also available at 11/4, but we can note that the Reds have not had a single draw this season other than the DFB Pokal match with Eintracht Braunschweig.
Recent head-to-head: A new rivalry begins
As Stuttgart spent many years away from UEFA’s competitions, this will be the first clash between the two teams. In the bigger picture, we can note that Fenerbahce have only one win against German opposition in official matches, while they lost eight times and had four draws.
Players to watch: Talisca shows up for European nights
Talisca has been the main driving force behind Fenerbahce’s success over the past 10 months since he joined from Al Nassr. The 31-year-old has been involved in three goals in the last four matches. More importantly, he boasts six goal contributions in his last five Europa League appearances, although part of these stats extend back to his time at Besiktas seven years ago.
But we couldn’t find a better pick in this matchup, and we like to bet on players who can both score or assist, as Betano usually offer some great combined odds.
Probable line-ups
Fenerbahce: Ederson, Brown, Ostervold, Skriniar, Semedo, Asensio, Yuksek, Talisca, Akturkoglu, En-Nesyri, Dorgeles
Stuttgart: Nubel, Mittelstadt, Hendriks, Hakes, Assignon, Stiller, Andres, Leveling, Tiago Tomas, Bouanani, Demirovic
Anything else catch the eye?
Fenerbahce already achieved several famous wins at home this season, including last round’s 2-1 over Nice and the 5-2 over Feyenoord during qualis. Overall, they are unbeaten in 10 consecutive home matches and we don’t expect Stuttgart to change that. We can’t risk betting on the win, but you can opt for the Draw No Bet market or a 1X combined with goals, as we expect to see at least three.
Both teams boast exciting goalscoring forms, with Fenerbahce scoring at least twice in each of their last four matches, and Stuttgart scoring at least once in 11 of their 12 fixtures this season.
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