The first leg of the 2024/25 Europa League playoff between Fenerbahce (Turkey) and Anderlecht (Belgium) will take place on February 13 at the Fenerbahce Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul. Fenerbahce vs. Anderlecht: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Fenerbahce
The Turkish side ended the group stage poorly, failing to win any of their last three matches. Initially, they lost 0-2 at home to Athletic, followed by a goalless draw with Lyon. In the final round, they drew 2-2 with Midtjylland, which allowed them to secure the 24th spot in the standings. It's worth noting that Fenerbahce managed only two wins in eight group stage matches (4 draws and 2 losses).
Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic and defender Alexander Djiku will miss the game due to injuries.
- No more than three goals have been scored in 9 of Fenerbahce's last 11 Europa League matches.
- The team has lost only three times in their last 21 matches in this European competition (10 wins and 8 draws).
- Fenerbahce has not won the first half in their last seven matches in this tournament (4 draws and 3 losses).
Predicted lineup for Fenerbahce (4-3-3)
Irfan Egribayat – Caglar Soyuncu, Alexander Djiku, Yusuf Akcicek, Ismail Yuksek – Fred, Sebastian Szymanski, Mert Hakan Yandas – Dusan Tadic, Edin Dzeko, Youssef En-Nesyri.
Anderlecht
The Belgian side faltered at the end of the group stage, losing their last two matches to Viktoria Plzen (0-2) and Hoffenheim (3-4). However, prior to that, they managed 4 wins and 2 draws, finishing in a respectable 10th position and securing a playoff spot. Anderlecht even had a chance to break into the top eight but lost out to Rangers and Bodo/Glimt on tiebreakers, all finishing with 14 points.
Forward Kasper Dolberg and defender Jan Vertonghen are unavailable due to injuries.
- The team has not lost in 10 of their last 12 Europa League matches (6 wins and 4 draws).
- No more than three goals have been scored in 11 of Anderlecht's last 13 matches in this tournament.
- The Belgians have failed to score in the first half in 9 of their last 10 away games in this European competition.
Predicted lineup for Anderlecht (4-3-3)
Mads Kikkenborg – Leander Dendoncker, Ludwig Augustinsson, Jan-Carlo Simic, Killian Sardella – Mats Rits, Tristan Degraef, Yari Verschaeren – Thorgan Hazard, Luis Vazquez, Francis Amuzu.
Referee
Nikola Dabanovic (Montenegro)
Matches – 7 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 23;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.3;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 19;
Penalties – 0%.
Match Prediction: Fenerbahce vs. Anderlecht
The Turks are the favorites for both this match and the two-legged tie. This is hard to dispute, as these teams have met four times before in the Europa League and Champions League, with Fenerbahce winning three times and drawing once. In those wins, they managed to keep a clean sheet three times. In the upcoming match, they will also benefit from the passionate support of their Turkish fans.
Fenerbahce has a strong record in the Europa League at home, with six wins, three draws, and just one loss in their last 10 home matches. Notably, they only failed to win against teams from the top five European leagues. Anderlecht, on the other hand, tends to win or draw away matches in this competition against clubs ranked lower in the UEFA club rankings. Therefore, my prediction is Fenerbahce to Win.
