Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce are positioned to advance to the last 16 of the Europa League when they see Anderlecht on Thursday as the Portuguese train targets a 6th European prize of his fabled supervisory profession.
Fenerbahce enter into the 2nd leg of their knockout stage play-off connection with a healthy and balanced 3-0 lead from the initial conference recently in Istanbul, when Dusan Tadic, captain Edin Dzeko and Youssef En-Nesyri scored their objectives.
Assuming they stay clear of an amazing collapse in Brussels, they will certainly progress to an incorporate the following round versus either Rangers or Greek titans Olympiakos, with the identification of their challenger to be exposed in Friday’s draw.
Now aged 62, Mourinho was selected in advance of this period by the Istanbul titans from the Asian side of the Bosphorus.
He was billed with the job of unseating wonderful opponents Galatasaray and supplying a very first Turkish title for Fenerbahce given that 2014.
However, the expectation locally does not look also appealing– Fenerbahce are presently 2nd, 6 factors behind unbeaten Galatasaray with 23 video games played.
Mourinho’s side have actually shed simply 2 Super Lig video games, 3-1 in the house to Galatasaray in September, and 1-0 at one more Istanbul opponent, Besiktas, in December.
With that in mind, Fenerbahce can be forgiven for putting a lot of their emphasis recently on the following global derby versus Galatasaray– the clubs originate from the Asian and European sides of the Bosphorus specifically– on Monday.
But success in Europe would certainly be an amazing success for Mourinho, whose side were removed from this period’s Champions League in the certifying rounds.
Fenerbahce have actually never ever been to a European last and the only global title for a Turkish club continues to be Galatasaray’s victory in the UEFA Cup in 2000.
There is no lack of top quality in Mourinho’s team, with proficient duo Tadic and Dzeko signed up with by the similarity Moroccan demonstrator En-Nesyri and French winger Allan Saint-Maximin
Slovakia centre-back and captain Milan Skriniar signed up with on car loan from Paris Saint-Germain in the wintertime transfer home window.
However, some awesome names are currently right into the draw for the last 16, consisting of Mourinho’s old clubs Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, along with Athletic Bilbao, Eintracht Frankfurt and Lazio.
Mourinho won the UEFA Cup and Champions League with Porto and afterwards one more Champions League at Inter Milan.
He led United to the Europa League in 2017 and won the Europa Conference League with Roma in 2022.
In comparison to Fenerbahce, Galatasaray’s potential customers of progressing are slim as they organize AZ Alkmaar routing 4-1 from recently’s initial leg in the Netherlands.
Europa League knockout stage play-off round, second-leg components (2000 GMT unless specified; first-leg ratings in braces):
Thursday
Bodo/Glimt (NOR) v Twente (NED) (1745 GMT) (1-2), Galatasaray (TUR) v AZ Alkmaar (NED) (1745 GMT) (1-4), FCSB (ROM) v PAOK (GRE) (1745 GMT) (2-1), Roma (ITA) v FC Porto (POR) (1745 GMT) (1-1), Viktoria Plzen (CZE) v Ferencvaros (HUN) (0-1), Ajax (NED) v Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL) (2-0), Real Sociedad (ESP) v Midtjylland (DEN) (2-1), Anderlecht (BEL) v Fenerbahce (TUR) (0-3)
Conference League knockout stage play-off round, second-leg components (2000 GMT unless specified; first-leg ratings in braces):
Thursday
Real Betis (ESP) v Gent (BEL) (1745 GMT) (3-0), Olimpija Ljubljana (SLO) v Borac Baja Luka (BIH) (1745 GMT) (1-0), Pafos (CYP) v Omonia Nicosia (CYP) (1745 GMT) (1-1), Heidenheim (GER) v FC Copenhagen (DEN) (1745 GMT) (2-1), Jagiellonia Bialystok (POL) v TSC Backa Topola (SRB) (3-1), APOEL (CYP) v Celje (SLO) (2-2), Panathinaikos (GRE) v Vikingur (ISL) (1-2), Shamrock Rovers (IRL) v Molde (NOR) (1-0)
bur-as/dmc
