Fenerbahçe appears to have secured their spot in the Europa League’s round of 16 after a resounding 3-0 first-leg victory over Anderlecht.
The Turkish powerhouse travels to Brussels for Thursday’s playoff decider at Lotto Park, holding a commanding lead. Awaiting them in the next round is a potential matchup with either Rangers or the reigning Conference League champions, Olympiacos.
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Fenerbahçe’s impressive form shows no signs of slowing down. Their unbeaten streak now stretches to 14 games since a December 11th loss. Following their dismantling of Anderlecht in Istanbul, they maintained momentum with a 3-1 win over Kasımpaşa in the Turkish Super Lig, keeping them in contention for the domestic title. Next up is a crucial derby match.
Dusan Tadic and Edin Dzeko were instrumental in the first leg, both scoring before Youssef En-Nesyri sealed the 3-0 result. Fenerbahçe now aims to achieve a feat they haven’t managed since the 2006-07 season: winning both legs of a European knockout tie. History favors the Turkish side, as they remain undefeated in their last five encounters with Anderlecht, with four wins and one draw.
Anderlecht faces a daunting challenge. Overturning a three-goal deficit in the Europa League is a rare occurrence; only Valencia achieved this in 2013-14 against Basel. While Anderlecht rebounded from their Istanbul defeat with a 1-0 win over Charleroi, overcoming a strong Fenerbahçe side is a different proposition. A fourth consecutive Europa League loss would mark their longest losing streak in the competition.
Anderlecht will be missing key players, including Kasper Dolberg (knee), Yari Verschaeren (groin), and Mario Stroeykens (ankle). Luis Vazquez, who has scored twice in the Europa League, is expected to lead the attack, supported by Anders Dreyer, Cesar Huerta, and either Thorgan Hazard or Tristan Degreef. Veteran defender Jan Vertonghen may return after being benched last weekend.
Fenerbahçe also has injury concerns. Jayden Oosterwolde and Rodrigo Becao are out for the season, while Dominik Livakovic (thigh), Diego Carlos, Çaglar Söyüncü, and Alexander Djiku (muscle issues) remain sidelined.
Sofyan Amrabat has been filling in at central defense alongside new signing Milan Skriniar, with Levent Mercan or Yusuf Akçiçek likely to step in. Dzeko enters the match in excellent form, having scored in three consecutive Europa League starts. The 38-year-old hopes to continue his streak alongside En-Nesyri, who leads Fenerbahçe’s scoring charts with 23 goals across all competitions.
