Fenerbahce kicked off their Europa League campaign with a strong performance, securing a 2-1 home victory against Union Saint-Gilloise and a 1-1 draw away to Twente, a team that also managed a draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford on the first matchday.
In the Turkish Super Lig, José Mourinho’s side is set to face Samsunspor next weekend, aiming for back-to-back league wins following a 2-0 triumph over Antalyaspor. Fenerbahce has been in excellent form domestically, boasting five wins and one draw in their last six matches. Their only setback came more than a month ago in a 3-1 home defeat to fierce rivals Galatasaray.
Manchester United, meanwhile, is enduring a familiar struggle in the Premier League, where they already seem to be losing ground in the title race. After seven matches, the Red Devils had only managed two victories ahead of their upcoming clash against Brentford, a team known for scoring early in recent games.
Before the international break, United played out a goalless draw with Aston Villa, who had just beaten Bayern Munich in the Champions League. That draw marked United’s third consecutive league match without a win, following a heavy 3-0 home defeat to Tottenham and a 0-0 stalemate against Crystal Palace.
In the Europa League, United has faced challenges, drawing 1-1 at home against Twente and settling for a 3-3 draw against Porto. Despite holding a two-goal lead, they were pegged back and briefly trailed before Harry Maguire’s late equalizer rescued a point.
Fenerbahce will welcome back Bright Oyasi-Samuel, who returns after serving a suspension from his red card in the opening group stage match. However, backup goalkeeper Egribayat remains sidelined due to injury, while Kent, Kostic (on loan from Juventus), and Söyuncu are not in the squad. Key players such as Allan Saint-Maximin (1 goal, 2 assists), veteran striker Edin Dzeko (5 goals this season), and Serbian winger Dusan Tadic (4 goals, 2 assists) are available for selection.
Manchester United will be without captain Bruno Fernandes, who is suspended after his red card against Porto. The team continues to struggle with injuries, with Yoro, Malacia, Mason Mount, and Luke Shaw all unavailable. However, Marcus Rashford (1 goal, 1 assist), Alejandro Garnacho, and Danish forward Rasmus Højlund are expected to feature. United is also dealing with the absence of new signing Noussair Mazraoui, who recently underwent surgery for a cardiac arrhythmia.
Prediction
Fenerbahce is in excellent form, having won six of their last seven home matches in the Europa League, giving them a strong advantage heading into this clash. In contrast, Manchester United has struggled on the road, losing nine of their last 12 away games in all competitions.
Prediction: Fenerbahce 2 : 0 Manchester United.
