Fenerbahçe vs. Nottingham Forest – News and Probable Lineups

Vitor Pereira’s tenure as head coach of Nottingham Forest kicks off on Thursday night when the Tricky Trees head to Turquia to face Fenerbahce in the first leg of their Europa League knockout round playoff clash.

The Sukru Saracoglu Stadium will host the inaugural encounter between these two teams, both aiming to enhance their chances of progressing to the last 16 prior to making their way to the City Ground for next week’s reverse fixture.

Match overview

Amid a tumultuous season for Nottingham Forest, Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, and Sean Dyche were all dismissed by the controversial owner Evangelos Marinakis, with Dyche being the latest casualty after just four months at the helm.

A disappointing 3-1 loss at Leeds and a frustrating goalless draw at home against Wolves, where they managed an astonishing 35 shots on target, led the Tricky Trees to terminate Dyche’s short spell. Marinakis acted rapidly to appoint Pereira, a Portuguese manager, on an 18-month deal just four months post his exit from Molineux.

Pereira has faith in Forest’s capabilities and has expressed his ‘trust’ in Marinakis, with whom he collaborated at Olympiacos over ten years ago. At 57, he recognizes that he ‘cannot change a lot,’ but feels optimistic about guiding Forest – currently sitting 17th and three points clear of the relegation zone – away from peril in the remaining 12 league games.

Before gearing up his new squad for a challenging Premier League home match against Liverpool on Sunday, Pereira’s first test will occur in the Europa League away against his former club Fenerbahce, where he held the managerial position in two separate terms, including a five-month period at the end of 2021.

The Forest side, making their historic trip to Turquia, finished 13th in the 36-team League Phase table, narrowly missing out on automatic qualification for the last 16 by just two points despite securing a 4-0 victory over Ferencvaros at home in their eighth match last month.

Over the course of the League Phase, Forest recorded four wins, two draws, and two defeats, accumulating five points away from home (W1 D2 L1). Achieving success in Istanbul could prove to be challenging, yet Pereira boasts a streak of victories in his opening match across his last seven managerial roles, indicating a promising outcome ahead of Thursday’s fixture.

Fenerbahce stumbled their way into the Europa League knockout round playoffs after winning just one of their last five League Phase matches (D2 L2), finishing 19th in the standings. They suffered a 1-0 defeat at home against Aston Villa in their second-to-last game before finishing with a 1-1 draw against FCSB on matchday eight.

The Yellow Canaries have responded positively since then, achieving victories in their last four domestic matches and registering 11 goals, which included consecutive Turkish Super Lig successes over Genclerbirligi (3-1) and Trabzonspor (3-2).

The recent victory over Trabzonspor allowed Domenico Tedesco’s team to maintain their unbeaten run across 22 league fixtures and remain within close range of leaders Galatasaray, with only three points differentiating the top two teams in the division. Fenerbahce is targeting their 20th league title, their first since 2014.

In the Europa League, Fenerbahce secured seven of their 12 League Phase points at home, and their loss to Aston Villa broke a five-match unbeaten streak in Europe at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, where they have never experienced consecutive defeats in European competitions.

Historically, the Yellow Canaries have encountered English opponents 21 times and managed to achieve victory on just four occasions (D2 L12), the most recent being a 2-1 win at home against Manchester United during the 2016-17 Europa League group stage.

Team News

Fenerbahce has incorporated January signings N’Golo Kante, Matteo Guendouzi, and Sidiki Cherif into their revised Europa League roster, yet fellow newcomers Anthony Musaba and Mert Gunok are not part of it, and Archie Brown continues to be unavailable due to a leg injury.

Veterans Kante, who formerly played for Chelsea and Leicester, along with ex-Arsenal midfielder Guendouzi, are anticipated to anchor the midfield alongside either Fred or Ismail Yuksek, while former Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson might be shielded by center-backs Milan Skriniar and Jayden Oosterwolde.

Anderson Talisca leads the team with 21 goals in 35 appearances this season and is set to feature in the central role of a three-man frontline flanked by wingers Kerem Akturkoglu and Marco Asensio. Both Talisca and Akturkoglu have accounted for 80% of Fenerbahce’s goals in the Europa League this season, netting four each.

On the other hand, Nottingham Forest is missing five players due to injuries: Chris Wood, Nicolo Savona, John Victor, Willy Boly (all with knee issues), and Matz Sels (hip), while January signings Stefan Ortega and Luca Netz have been omitted from Forest’s updated Europa League roster.

New addition Lorenzo Lucca has been included, alongside Omari Hutchinson and Jair Cunha. Lucca is in contention to lead the attack, but at 6ft 7in, the Napoli loanee is challenged by Igor Jesus, who has scored six goals in six Europa League matches this season.

Morato is expected to partner Nikola Milenkovic in central defense if Murillo, who has been sidelined for the last two games with a calf injury, is not available – while goalkeeper Angus Gunn is likely to make his first appearance for Forest since moving on a free transfer last summer due to the absence of both Sels and Ortega.

Fenerbahce probable starting XI:

Ederson; Semedo, Skriniar, Oosterwolde, Muldur; Yuksek, Guendouzi, Kante; Asensio, Talisca, Akturkoglu

Nottingham Forest probable starting XI:

Gunn; Aina, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams; Anderson, Sangare; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus

Fenerbahce’s recent form and formidable home record should instill confidence as they prepare for Thursday’s encounter against a somewhat unpredictable Forest side under their new manager, Pereira.

The visiting team will be eager to impress their new coach and deliver a performance that deserves at least a share of the points, but we anticipate the Turkish hosts to secure a narrow win, granting them an advantage heading into the return leg next week.