An unexpected defeat to Beşiktaş in the derby (0:1) snapped Fenerbahçe's winning streak, which had lasted an entire month. At home against Athletic Bilbao, the team will likely look to play strategically against their opponents. The Basque side are known to make errors in transitional play, but their position in the tournament allows them some leeway to drop points in Istanbul.
Despite their win against Slavia Prague (2:1) in the fifth round, Fenerbahçe only marginally closed the gap to the top eight of the overall Europa League stage. In Prague, they were fortunate with their finishing (0.73 xG and three shots on target over 90 minutes), making it unlikely to repeat the same trick against a more adept opponent. Against Beşiktaş, they managed only two shots on target, and the introductions of Sebastian Szymański, Youssef En-Nesyri, and Cenk Tosun off the bench added little attacking thrust.
Athletic Bilbao approach the sixth round as one of the Europa League's frontrunners. Only the Basques, Lazio, and Eintracht Frankfurt have amassed 13 points (the highest tally). In their five matches, the club from Bilbao has had three games go under 2.5 individual total, achieving decisive wins over Ludogorets (2:1) and Elfsborg (3:0) due to the low level of competition. On Sunday, Athletic Bilbao comfortably managed the difference in La Liga against Villarreal (2:0) and will aim for a similar approach in Turkey.
The first leg of the upcoming Europa League round between Fenerbahçe and Athletic Bilbao is unlikely to bring a goal fest. Both sides will be cautious with each other, creating minimal chances.
