Fenerbahce will be bidding to book their spot in the third qualifying round of the 2024-25 Champions League when they host Lugano on Tuesday night.
Jose Mourinho's side will bring a narrow advantage into the second leg of the second qualifying round fixture, having recorded a 4-3 victory in the first leg in Switzerland.
Match preview
© Imago
Mourinho got his reign as Fenerbahce head coach off to a winning start in the first leg last week, but it was far from a comfortable match, with Lugano making a real fight of it.
Edin Dzeko scored three times for the Turkish giants, who led 4-2 heading into the final exchanges, but a 94th-minute goal for Lugano means that the tie is delicately poised heading into the return fixture.
Fenerbahce will not open their Turkish league campaign against Goztepe until August 17, with their full focus currently on the Champions League, and they are one game away from the third qualifying round.
The Yellow Canaries picked up an incredible 99 points from 38 league matches last season, but they still did not win the title, finishing three points behind the champions Galatasaray.
Fenerbahce featured in the Conference League last season and progressed to the quarter-final stage, losing on penalties to Olympiacos, and they have not operated in the group stage of the Champions League since the 2008-09 campaign.
© Imago
Lugano, meanwhile, also played in the Conference League last term, but they failed to make it through the group stage, finishing fourth in Group D.
The Black and Whites have never played in the group stage of the Champions League, so they are chasing history this season, but they did operate in the group stage of the 2019-20 Europa League.
Mattia Croci-Torti's side have already started their Swiss Super League campaign, and it has been a strong start, winning their opening two games against Grasshoppers and Basel to sit third in the table.
Lugano are three-time Swiss Super League champions, but they have not won the title since 1949.
The team claimed second last season for the first time since 2001, though, 12 points behind the champions Young Boys, and they will again be expecting to finish high up the division this term.
- W
- L
- W
Team News
© Reuters
Fenerbahce are sweating over the fitness of Caglar Soyuncu, who has a thigh problem, while Ryan Kent is expected to miss out with a knee issue.
As a result, head coach Mourinho could be forced to make two changes from the first leg, with Irfan Kahveci and Mert Muldur likely to be introduced into the XI for this contest.
Dzeko scored three times in the first leg, and the experienced striker will continue in the final third of the field.
As for Lugano, Shkelqim Vladi, Ilija Maslarov and Lars Mai missed the first leg due to fitness problems, and the trio are expected to again be absent on Tuesday night.
Head coach Croci-Torti will have been pleased with many aspects of his side's performance in the first leg, and it would therefore not be a surprise to see the same XI take to the field here.
As a result, there should be a spot at centre-forward for Argentine Ignacio Aliseda, who did not register in the first leg but is already off the mark for the new campaign.
Fenerbahce possible starting lineup:
Livakovic; Osayi-Samuel, Muldur, Djiku, Oosterwolde; Fred, Krunic, Szymanski; Tadic, Dzeko, Kahveci
Lugano possible starting lineup:
Saipi; Zanotti, Papadopoulos, El Wafi, Valenzuela; Doumbia, Grgic; Botttani, Bislimi, Cimignani; Aliseda
We say: Fenerbahce 3-1 Lugano (Fenerbahce win 7-4 on aggregate)
The first leg was a thriller, and Lugano kept themselves in the tie by scoring a third deep into stoppage time. Fenerbahce remain the big favourites, though, and we are expecting the Turkish giants to secure their spot in the next round without any major dramas.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
