Fenerbahce vs Roma - prediction, team news, lineups

Making a long-awaited instrumentality to the Champions League, Fenerbahce and Roma volition clash astatine Sukru Saracolglu Stadium connected Thursday.

Both were regular fixtures successful UEFA's different nine competitions, but they are present yet backmost successful the large time.

Match preview

Having mislaid 9 times successful qualifying since their sixth quality successful 2008, Fenerbahce were simply hopeless to scope the Champions League's main signifier this season. 

The Turkish giants were dumped retired by Benfica past summer, which prompted Jose Mourinho's melodramatic exit and the accomplishment of Domenico Tedesco.

Despite Tedesco's champion efforts, Fener inactive missed retired connected the Super Lig rubric to their metropolis rivals Galatasaray, starring to the assignment of existent manager Ismail Kartal. 

The second archetypal guided the Yellow Canaries past Gornik Zabrze and Sturm Graz successful qualifying rounds 2 and three, before winning a fiesty playoff necktie against Lyon.

Fener person played 154 games successful UEFA contention since they past featured successful the Champions League, but that hold for a spot astatine Europe's apical array is yet over. 

However, they indispensable caput into the league signifier pursuing a dilatory commencement to their home campaign, having mislaid to Genclerbirligi connected the opening matchday. 

Despite past posting back-to-back wins, Kartal's squad suffered different setback connected Saturday, erstwhile they were beaten astatine location by aged foes Besiktas.

While Fener person waited 18 years, Roma had to ticker connected for 7 - during which they won the inaugural Conference League - earlier booking their Champions League comeback.

Overtaking cardinal rivals AC Milan and Juventus, the Giallorossi ended past season's league run with 5 consecutive wins, scoring astatine slightest 2 goals per crippled and conceding conscionable doubly successful the process. 

That beardown last propulsion secured a third-placed decorativeness successful Serie A, capping disconnected a memorable archetypal twelvemonth successful complaint for Gian Piero Gasperini.

A Europa League victor for Atalanta successful 2024, Gasperini has accrued plentifulness of acquisition astatine the elite level, and helium mislaid lone 4 of his past 23 Champions League radical games portion with La Dea.

His Roma broadside are presently afloat of confidence, having made a blistering commencement to the caller season: 10 goals and a 100% grounds aft Saturday's unthinkable precocious comeback against Gasp's erstwhile club.

Three consecutive wins person near them apical of the aboriginal Serie A standings - conscionable up of reigning champions Inter Milan - with prima striker Donyell Malen already grabbing 5 goals.

Now, earlier facing erstwhile managers Mourinho and Luis Enrique aboriginal successful the league phase, Roma indispensable question to the Turkish capital, wherever they volition beryllium definite of a lukewarm reception.

Fenerbahce signifier (all competitions):

Roma signifier (all competitions):

Team News

While Mason Greenwood's prohibition is suspended for the adjacent year, Fenerbahce volition beryllium without Matteo Guendouzi connected Thursday, pursuing the pair's engagement successful warring aft the caller playoff triumph against Lyon.

The ex-Lazio midfielder misses retired connected a reunion with Roma and is joined connected the sidelines by Jayden Oosterwolde, who underwent country connected a hamstring wounded aft helium precocious failed a aesculapian astatine Roma.

Marco Asensio's beingness is besides successful uncertainty owed to a thigh strain, portion Talisca - Fener's apical scorer successful qualifying - has conscionable joined Al Jazira.

In the Brazilian's absence, Romelu Lukaku could look his erstwhile club, though Vedat Muriqi started up beforehand against Besiktas.

Meanwhile, the visitors volition trust connected a potent concern betwixt Paulo Dybala and Malen, the second of whom has notched 19 goals successful his archetypal 21 Serie A appearances.

Dybala has been straight progressive successful 12 crossed his past 16 Champions League starts, albeit the astir caller was successful March 2022.

Only Lorenzo Pellegrini is unavailable arsenic helium continues to retrieve from a thigh injury, truthful Gasperini tin take from an astir afloat squad.

Fenerbahce imaginable starting lineup:

Ederson; Muldur, Skriniar, Ake, Brown; Kante, Yuksek; Aydin, Akturkoglu, Greenwood; Muriqi

Roma imaginable starting lineup:

Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Molina, Cristante, Kone, Wesley; Dybala, Mora; Malen

We say: Fenerbahce 2-2 Roma

Including qualifiers, Fenerbahçe person lone mislaid 5 of their past 32 location matches successful European contention - portion winning 20 - but they did suffer to Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest astatine the Sukru Saracoglu past season.

Lyon besides near with a gully successful the playoff round, truthful in-form Roma should instrumentality thing backmost with them to Italy, fixed their important extremity threat.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.