Fenerbahce started their Europa League campaign on a positive note with a 2-1 victory at home against Union Saint-Gilloise, followed by a 1-1 draw away to Twente, a team that also held Manchester United to a draw at Old Trafford in their opening group stage match.
In the Turkish Super Lig, José Mourinho’s side looks strong, preparing to face Samsunspor next weekend after securing a 2-0 win against Antalyaspor.
Fenerbahce has enjoyed an impressive domestic run, with five wins and one draw from six matches. Their only loss came over a month ago in a 3-1 defeat at home against their fierce rivals Galatasaray.
Meanwhile, Manchester United’s season has been challenging, as they already seem to be lagging in the Premier League title race. After seven matches, United had only managed two wins heading into their game against Brentford, a team known for scoring early in recent matches.
Before the international break, United played out a goalless draw against Aston Villa, who had recently defeated Bayern Munich in the Champions League. This was United’s third consecutive league game without a win, following a 3-0 loss to Tottenham at home and a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace.
In the Europa League, United struggled to overcome Twente, settling for a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford. Their match against Porto also ended in frustration, as they were held to a 3-3 draw despite leading by two goals. Porto mounted a comeback, and it was Harry Maguire who rescued a point for United with a late equalizer.
Fenerbahce will benefit from the return of Bright Oyasi-Samuel, who is eligible to play after serving a suspension.
However, backup goalkeeper Egribayat remains injured, and Kent, Kostic (on loan from Juventus), and Söyuncu are unavailable. Key players such as Allan Saint-Maximin (1 goal, 2 assists), Edin Dzeko (5 goals), and Dusan Tadic (4 goals, 2 assists) are set to feature for the Turkish side.
On the other hand, Manchester United will be without captain Bruno Fernandes, who is suspended following his red card against Porto. United is also missing several players due to injury, including Yoro, Malacia, Mason Mount, and Luke Shaw.
However, Marcus Rashford (1 goal, 1 assist), Alejandro Garnacho, and Rasmus Højlund are expected to play. New signing Noussair Mazraoui is also sidelined after undergoing surgery for a cardiac arrhythmia.
Prediction
Fenerbahce comes into this match with strong form, having won six of their last seven home games in the Europa League. In contrast, Manchester United has struggled away from home, losing nine of their last 12 matches on the road in all competitions.
Prediction: Fenerbahce 2 : 0 Manchester United
