With a place in the Champions League up for grabs, Turkish Super Lig side Fenerbahce will face Portuguese visitors Benfica on Wednesday at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in the first of two legs in the final qualifying round.
Fenerbahce overcame Eredivisie opponents Feyenoord in the third round of qualifying earlier in August, winning 6-4 on aggregate, while Benfica comfortably saw past Nice 4-0 on aggregate in the previous stage of qualifying.
Contents
Fenerbahce vs Benfica: Leaky hosts face defensively strong visitors
Key stats
- Fenerbahce have conceded four times in their three games of 2024-25, and they also failed to keep a clean sheet in 10 of their prior 11 competitive fixtures.
- Benfica's record at the back is excellent this term considering they are have not conceded in their four games this season, keeping as many clean sheets as they kept in their previous 10 outings excluding friendlies.
- The hosts have found the back of the net at least twice in 10 of their past 12 competitive matches, scoring at least three goals six times.
Correct score prediction: Fenerbahce 1-1 Benfica
Despite their excellent defensive performances of late, it is difficult to see Benfica keeping their hosts at bay, though they should still be confident in their ability to limit the number of chances that they face.
Fans should expect a tense affair given it is just the first leg of the tie, and perhaps Fenerbahce will have to settle for a low-scoring stalemate.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Benfica narrowly predicted to win by the bookmakers
- HOME: 13/8 (2.63) – 38.1%
- DRAW: 13/5 (3.6) – 27.8%
- AWAY: 29/20 (2.45) – 40.8%
*odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
Benfica are the expected winner of this clash, with the bookmakers giving the Primeira Liga visitors a win probability of 40.8%, but they would not be surprised if Fenerbahce were able to at least avoid defeat on Wednesday.
You can find all our predictions for today's games on our football betting tips page.
Most recent H2Hs: Fenerbahce's recent struggle against Benfica
Fenerbahce have faced Benfica in competitive matches six times, with the Turkish club losing three, drawing one and winning two games in that period.
Benfica are unbeaten in their past three fixtures against Fenerbahce – achieving victory twice – but they did draw 1-1 when they last faced off in August 2018.
Europe Friendlies 26/07/25
Benfica
Fenerbahce
UEFA Champions League Qualifying 14/08/18
Fenerbahce
Benfica
UEFA Champions League Qualifying 07/08/18
Benfica
Fenerbahce
Fenerbahce preview: Mixed start to the 2025-26 campaign
Fenerbahce's opening three games of 2025-26 have only yielded one victory, though they did come back from a 2-1 loss against Feyenoord on August 6 in the first leg of the previous round of Champions League qualifying, winning the second leg 5-2 despite at one point trailing 3-1 on aggregate.
The Turkish Super Lig side could look to give starts to a number of players that featured against Feyenoord in the second leg, with midfielders Fred and Sofyan Amrabat likely to appear.
Predicted lineup: Egribayat (GK), Muldur, Skriniar, Oosterwolde, Semedo, Fred, Amrabat, Brown, Szymanski, Duran & En-Nesyri
Tu00fcrkiye Super Lig 09/05/25
W
Istanbul Basaksehir
1
Fenerbahce
4
Tu00fcrkiye Super Lig 04/05/25
L
Besiktas
1
Fenerbahce
0
Tu00fcrkiye Super Lig 26/04/25
W
Gazisehir Gaziantep FK
1
Fenerbahce
3
Tu00fcrkiye Super Lig 20/04/25
D
Kayserispor
3
Fenerbahce
3
Tu00fcrkiye Super Lig 13/04/25
W
Sivasspor
1
Fenerbahce
3
Benfica preview: Strong defensive performances
Benfica beat Nice 2-0 in both legs of their qualifying tie, and they also triumphed 1-0 against Sporting Lisbon in Portugal's Super Cup final on July 31.
The Portuguese outfit have only qualified for the Champions League twice in the past six seasons, though they have reached either the group or league phase in two of their last three campaigns.
Centre-backs Antonio Silva and Nicolas Otamendi could be key for Benfica's chances of avoiding defeat considering the home crowd are sure to create a tense atmosphere.
Predicted lineup: Trubin (GK), Dedic, Silva, Otamendi, Dahl, Aursnes, Rios, Barrenechea, Schjelderup, Ivanovic & Pavlidis
Portugal Primeira Liga 10/05/25
D
Sporting
1
Benfica
1
Portugal Primeira Liga 03/05/25
W
Estoril
1
Benfica
2
Portugal Primeira Liga 27/04/25
W
AVS
0
Benfica
6
Portugal Cup 23/04/25
W
FC Tirsense
0
Benfica
4
Portugal Primeira Liga 19/04/25
W
Guimaraes
0
Benfica
3
Player to watch: Antonio Silva
Benfica centre-back Antonio Silva performed exceptionally well at the back against Nice in both legs, and his defensive nous will be needed on Wednesday.
The 21-year-old has often been paired with 37 year old Otamendi, and the youngster will have to help his veteran partner, who can at times struggle when playing against athletic forwards.