Europa League, group stage, Thursday, 20/02/2025 at 9:00 p.m.
With one leg already in the next round – now just don’t let up! Fenerbahce have not been at their best in our Europa League tips for a long time, but now Jose Mourinho’s team seems to be realizing that there is an international title to be won here after all.
Shortly before the derby against Galatasaray, the task at hand is to defend a 3-0 lead. In my Anderlecht-Fenerbahce tip, I’ll tell you why I’m already thinking about the coming weekend and saying: the Turks won’t win again!
We all know the game in Istanbul: Galatasaray only wishes Fenerbahce bad luck and vice versa, regardless of the competition. The two clubs are arch-rivals, but in 2024/25 they have a lot in common that cannot be denied.
In the first legs of the Europa League playoffs, Galatasaray lost 4-1 to Alkmaar – good news for Fener! The canaries themselves won 3-0 against Anderlecht and therefore set the course for the round of 16.
Why am I mentioning Galatasaray so explicitly here? Quite simply because the Lions are a few points ahead of Fenerbahce in the Süper Lig and the big derby is coming up in a few days – if Fenerbahce lose here, the championship is likely to be lost!
In this respect, it could well be that the second leg against Anderlecht will be played with the handbrake on. Dusan Tadic, Edin Dzeko and Youssef En-Nesyri scored in the first leg, but in most statistics the opponents were almost equal.
To be honest, I didn’t expect the canaries to pull off such a clear result. Their performances in the group stage weren’t that great.
They won 2-1 with a lot of fighting spirit against Royale Union and Slavia Prague, but that was about it in terms of victories. 1-1 against Twente and Manchester United, 0-0 against Lyon, 2-2 against Midtjylland and defeats against Alkmaar (1-3) and Bilbao (0-2), which Mourinho didn’t like at all.
Fenerbahce were the last team to qualify for the playoffs, and their tally of nine goals in eight games did not suggest a strong offensive performance – they only scored three goals against Anderlecht for the first time ever.
Youssef En-Nesyri is a purchase that has paid off handsomely. He has already scored five times in the Europa League and twelve goals in his last eight Süper Lig appearances. It goes without saying that the attacker is also my number one for Thursday.
On the Bet365 app, you can bet that the former Sevilla striker will also score in Anderlecht, with odds of 2.50. Of course, En-Nesyri knows that if his team doesn’t score, they will probably reach the last 16.
Fener is not bringing the pressure to Lotto Park, but the upcoming derby against Galatasaray could well mean that Jose Mourinho takes a certain risk and initially sits one or two stars on the bench.
In 2018, Fenerbahce last played in Anderlecht, playing 2-2 under the direction of Phillip Cocu after trailing 0-2. Our bookmakers have of course taken the result of the first leg into account when setting the odds.
Since Fenerbahce no longer needs to win, I see an average of 2.30 to 2.80 per guest. Of course, Anderlecht know that the defeat in Istanbul was one goal too high and that it will now be extremely difficult to catch up.
The Belgians actually had a good chance of avoiding the play-offs altogether, but now they will probably be their undoing. With four wins and two draws, they started the preliminary round, were right at the top!
Ferencvaros, Real Sociedad and Slavia Prague were defeated 2-1, Rasgrad 2-0. They drew with RFS (1-1) and Porto (2-2) before a 0-2 against Viktoria Pilsen put everything in jeopardy.
Ultimately, a 3-4 loss to Hoffenheim cost them a place in the last eight. With nine goals conceded in their last three games, their defense has taken a significant downturn. Anderlecht conceded five of them before half-time.
2:1, 2:0, 2:2, 3:4 – from the results in their own stadium, I can always deduce two or more own goals. If this series continues on Thursday, you can get odds of 2.20 at Bet365.
A 3-0 lead is always an advantage! Fenerbahce are on the verge of advancing to the last 16, they just have to survive the trip to Anderlecht. Admittedly, Mourinho’s team have not yet convinced me in this competition.
In the first leg against the Belgians, it was three goals for the first time, and it was only their third win. Anderlecht have slid into an international crisis, and nothing remains of their great start. But now the canaries’ fixture list comes into play.
For me, the upcoming derby against Galatasaray could have a major impact on the Europa League, because Fener can afford to lose, as long as it’s not too clear. Accordingly, I react and say:
Fener does not win in Anderlecht!
