🔊 Will José Mourinho lead Fenerbahçe to the Champions League on his second attempt? Standing in the coach's way in the final stage of qualification are his compatriots from Benfica. The match is set for August 20 at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, where the Turkish side are on a four-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the Portuguese team have been flawless across all competitions this season and are determined not to concede in Istanbul. In our prediction, we will assess which successful run appears more impressive and which one is most likely to be halted.

Head-to-Head

📊 The teams have faced each other 5 times. The latest encounter took place recently at Benfica's home ground in Lisbon, ending in their favor with a 3-2 victory. Earlier this summer, the teams clashed in last year's Champions League qualifiers, where Benfica, known as "the Eagles," outperformed Fenerbahçe over two legs: 1-0 in Portugal and 1-1 in Istanbul. The other two meetings occurred in the semifinals of the 2012/13 Europa League season, with Benfica advancing on aggregate, 3-2.

Fenerbahce Istanbul Team Overview

🟡 The "Canaries" kicked off their Champions League qualification campaign from the semifinal stage, facing Feyenoord. After a 2-1 defeat in Rotterdam, as promised by José Mourinho, the Turks turned up the heat in Istanbul, delivering a real "hell" for the Dutch side. Fenerbahce netted five goals against the "Dockers," who managed to respond only twice, allowing the Turkish team to advance. The next Super Lig match for the Istanbul side against Göztepe was equally intense. Despite a goalless draw, the match saw eight yellow cards and three red cards. The battle could have been decided in stoppage time by Brazilian midfielder Talisca, but he failed to convert a penalty.

🔵 The club's summer signings have started making an impact. The standout player in the second leg against Feyenoord was new signing Archie Brown, a defender who contributed to three goals (one goal and two assists). Another hero was John Duran, on loan from Al-Nassr, who scored a goal. However, the Turkish club isn't stopping there; they are in talks for Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko. Rumor has it that the clubs have agreed on a transfer fee—now they just need to finalize personal terms with the Ukrainian.

Benfica Lisbon Team Overview

🔴 After their defeat to Chelsea at the Club World Cup, the Portuguese side have been on a perfect run. They started with a friendly win against Fenerbahce (3-2) and now have the chance to beat the "Canaries" in an official match. Benfica approach this game in excellent form, having also claimed the country's Super Cup by defeating Sporting (1-0). Following that victory, Bruno Lage's men twice dismantled Nice with identical 2-0 scores in the Champions League qualifying semifinals and narrowly overcame Estrela in their Primeira Liga opener (1-0).

⚪️ The success of Benfica's summer transfer campaign can be gauged by the performances of their newcomers in recent matches. Croatian forward Franjo Ivanovic, signed from Union Saint-Gilloise, scored in the first leg against Nice. Additionally, former Palmeiras midfielder Richard Rios has played all four matches from start to finish. Media rumors linked Joao Felix with a return to Benfica, but he was snatched up by Al-Nassr. Currently, the "Eagles" are negotiating a loan move for Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz.

Latest news

Fenerbahce Istanbul

🎙 Fenerbahçe's head coach continues to intimidate their next opponent with some trash talk: "I think they'd rather face Feyenoord. They know we're stronger, they know it won't be easy for them. I want to play, the fans want to play, the players want to play. It's important financially, and it's important for prestige. But we're up against strong teams—Feyenoord, and now Benfica—it's not an easy playoff. Honestly, I don't think Benfica are thrilled about it," said José Mourinho about their opponent.

❌ In the upcoming match, Mert Yandaş and Rodrigo Becão, who have been sidelined since last season, will definitely not play due to injuries. Last summer's acquisition, Diego Carlos, still struggles to recover from a series of injuries. Additionally, defender Mert Müldür has joined the injury list after missing the last Süper Lig match due to a shoulder injury.

Benfica Lisbon

📝 The future of forward Kerem Akturkoglu at Benfica is becoming increasingly uncertain. Last season, he contributed to 21 goals in the Primeira Liga (11 goals and 10 assists). Fenerbahce, Benfica's upcoming opponents, have shown a strong interest in the Turkish player, yet he has seen little playing time under Bruno Lage. Akturkoglu did not feature in the recent match against Estrela, but the head coach commented on his situation post-match: “I could have played Kerem in the game against Fenerbahce.”

❌ The most significant loss for Benfica will be midfielder Richard Rios, who sustained an injury just before the game in Istanbul. Additionally, forward Bruma, sidelined during preseason, and defender Alexander Bah, who has been out since last season, will not be available to assist the team.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The match will be officiated by Daniel Siebert from Germany. In the previous Champions League campaign, he refereed four matches, averaging four yellow cards per game. This season, he oversaw a Europa League qualifier between Shakhtar and Panathinaikos, handing out 10 bookings, including one red card.

In Benfica's matches this season, an average of 4.6 yellow cards have been issued, while Fenerbahce's games see about 5.75. The "Canaries" have only played one game at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, and their return leg against Feyenoord wasn't overly aggressive but still exceeded the yellow card count of the Rotterdam match (4 to 2). We anticipate that the clash in Istanbul will be fiercely contested, and Daniel Siebert is likely to show more than 4.5 yellow cards.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

Fenerbahce's last 10 matches have been significantly more high-scoring than Benfica's, averaging 3.8 goals compared to 2.8. Both teams tend to score more in the second half: 2.5 to 1.3 for the hosts and 2.2 to 0.8 for the visitors. Although Benfica has been more pragmatic this season, securing narrow victories across competitions, they have scored more often in the second half in 9 of their last 10 away games. We believe a bet on the second half being more productive than the first is quite reasonable.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Benfica concedes an average of 4.5 corners over four matches this season. Fenerbahce, in three games, have delivered 16 corners (an average of 5.3). The addition of powerful forward John Duran and the rise of top scorer Youssef En-Nesyri in the 2024/25 Super Lig has only enhanced these stats for the Turks. Fenerbahce have consistently earned at least four corners in their last 11 consecutive matches since last season. We expect José Mourinho to focus on set-piece deliveries in the upcoming game. Our editorial choice is Fenerbahce's individual total corners over 4.5.

This matchup is arguably the closest in terms of level and competition in the final stage of the Champions League qualifiers, as evidenced by the bookmakers' odds. Despite Benfica's impressive run of not conceding in their last four matches, the last team to breach the defense of goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, even in a friendly, was Fenerbahce themselves. We have little doubt that the clash in Istanbul will be thrilling and packed with chances on both ends, likely ending in a 2-2 draw. Therefore, we recommend betting on both teams to score.