Fenerbahçe eye early edge over Benfica in Champions League Playoff

Fenerbahçe will host Benfica at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium on Wednesday night in the first leg of the Champions League playoff round, as both clubs chase a coveted spot in the group stage, according to Daily Sabah.

The Yellow Canaries are aiming to return to Europe’s premier competition for the first time since 2008-09, while the Portuguese giants are targeting their fifth consecutive group-stage appearance.

Fenerbahçe advanced from the third qualifying round after a dramatic 6-4 aggregate win over Feyenoord, overturning a 2-1 defeat in Rotterdam with a resounding 5-2 home victory.

Domestic form remains a concern for the Turkish club, who opened their Süper Lig campaign with a lackluster 0-0 draw at Göztepe, registering just one shot on target.

Injury concerns also linger, with defender Rodrigo Becao still recovering from a cruciate ligament injury and striker Cenk Tosun also ruled out.

On a positive note, Mert Müldür and Çağlar Söyüncü, who missed the Göztepe clash, are expected to return. Mourinho is likely to persist with his three-man defense, with Jhon Duran and Youssef en-Nesyri set to lead the attack.

The two clubs are meeting for the seventh time in official competition. Benfica hold the edge with three wins, while Fenerbahçe have claimed two victories and the sides have drawn once.

Overall, the Portuguese team have dominated recent encounters, winning three of the last four, including a 3-2 friendly in July.

Benfica, under coach Bruno Lage, enter in strong form, winning all four matches this season without conceding. They claimed the Portuguese Super Cup with a 1-0 victory over Sporting Lisbon, swept Nice 4-0 on aggregate in the third qualifying round, and edged Estrela 1-0 in their league opener. Still, they have never won away to Fenerbahçe, losing twice and drawing once in three visits to Istanbul.

The visitors will be without Bruma, Manu Silva, Alexander Bah and Tomas Araujo due to injuries. Last season’s top scorer Vangelis Pavlidis, who hit 30 goals across all competitions, has already scored twice this term and is expected to spearhead the attack alongside summer signing Franjo Ivanovic.

Kickoff is set for 22:00 local time, with German referee Daniel Siebert officiating. He will be assisted by Jan Seidel and Dominik Schaal, with Daniel Schlager as the fourth official.