Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Europa League match.
The next challenge for José Mourinho and Fenerbahçe in the Europa League group stage will be against Slavia Prague. Both teams are barely within the top 24 of the standings, which could see them advance to the playoffs, so this head-to-head encounter is crucial as each side fights hard for vital points. The advantage in squad quality, however, is with the visitors.
Slavia Prague
Since October, Slavia Prague have been struggling in their European campaign. In their last three matches, the Prague team have only secured one point, and their games against Athletic Bilbao and Eintracht Frankfurt (both 0:1) yielded no positive results. In Frankfurt, although they produced higher xG (1.13-0.90), they were not as threatening in the penalty area (4-5 in shots on target). Slavia Prague will face their next match missing four key players, which will likely impact their performance.
Fenerbahçe
Fenerbahçe's notable absences include defenders Rodrigo Becão and Çağlar Söyüncü, but the Istanbul team have learned to cope without them. The loss away to AZ Alkmaar (1:3) was a valuable lesson for Fenerbahçe, as they responded with emphatic victories over Sivasspor (4:0) and Kayserispor (6:2) in the Turkish league. During this period, veteran Dušan Tadić recorded 2+1, and in a friendly against Zenit St Petersburg (2:1), the Serbian provided two assists.
Slavia Prague vs Fenerbahçe Prediction
Fenerbahçe's strong squad are aiming for a top-8 finish, so the trip to Prague should not pose significant challenges. Slavia Prague can hope for a draw at best, though even that seems unlikely.
