Four days after a 1-2 home defeat to Göztepe in the Süper Lig, Fenerbahçe have no time to dwell on that result. They host Liverpool at Chobani Stadium on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League league phase, sitting 31st of 36 teams with just two points from three matches. Liverpool arrive having dropped points of their own, losing 0-1 to Arsenal at home in the Premier League three days ago, but they still carry a perfect three-from-three record in Europe and will fancy their chances of extending it.
What’s at stake
The Champions League league phase qualifies the top 16 clubs directly to the round of 16, with places 17 through 24 entering a knockout playoff round. Fenerbahçe, on two points, sit outside even the playoff spots. Liverpool, third with nine points and three wins from three, are comfortably positioned in the top 16 and could cement their direct qualification path with another win here.
For Fenerbahçe, a loss would leave them with two points from four games and in deep trouble in the standings. Three more wins from their remaining five fixtures might not even be enough if other results go against them. Liverpool face a different kind of pressure: another defeat, following the Arsenal loss domestically, would allow teams below them to close the gap in the league phase table and put their clean record under scrutiny.
How they got here
Fenerbahçe’s recent run makes difficult reading. They beat Alanyaspor 3-0 in the Süper Lig in mid-October, then drew 2-2 with Slavia Praha in the UCL. Since then, they have lost at Galatasaray 1-2 and then dropped another home game 1-2 to Göztepe. In Europe, they were beaten 6-0 at Aston Villa in October, a scoreline that speaks to the gap they face against elite opposition. Their UCL record reads zero wins, two draws and one loss, with three goals scored and nine conceded. Liverpool’s European run has been the opposite: three wins from three, including a 4-3 home win over Villarreal in their last Champions League outing. In the Premier League their form is mixed, with two wins, a draw and a loss from their last four, but in Europe Andoni Iraola’s side have not dropped a point.
In the league phase standings, Liverpool sit third with nine points, level with Paris Saint-Germain, Aston Villa and Real Madrid at the top of the table. Fenerbahçe are 31st, two points behind teams like RB Leipzig and AEK Athens who occupy 29th and 30th. The gap between Fenerbahçe and the 16th-placed Atletico Madrid is two points, which is small in theory but the Turks have already conceded nine goals in three matches.
Key battle to watch
Fenerbahçe’s attack, with Romelu Lukaku and Mason Greenwood in the squad, has shown it can score in Europe, but the defensive numbers are a problem. Conceding nine goals in three league phase games suggests structural vulnerabilities that Liverpool, who have put 12 past opponents in the same span, will look to exploit. The battle between Fenerbahçe’s midfield, where N’Golo Kanté and Matteo Guendouzi are tasked with controlling the tempo, and Liverpool’s pressing setup under Iraola will likely determine how much space Florian Wirtz and the visiting forwards get in behind. If Kanté and Guendouzi can disrupt Liverpool’s rhythm in the first third, Fenerbahçe give themselves a chance. If not, the scoreline could get away from Ismail Kartal’s side quickly.
Key Stats
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Our Prediction
The gap in European form and overall quality makes Liverpool heavy favorites here. Fenerbahçe have shown in flashes that they can compete, but conceding nine goals in three UCL games points to a defense that Liverpool’s attack should be able to break down. Expect Liverpool to control possession and press their advantage, with Fenerbahçe needing a near-perfect defensive performance to take anything from the match.