Liverpool will look to bounce from their heartbreaking loss against Arsenal when they meet Fenerbahce in the Champions League fixture at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium on Wednesday night.
The English giants remain unbeaten in the top European competition this season, but their recent strong run of form was halted by Arsenal. The Reds failed to register a shot on the target against the English champions at Anfield and now face an European test in Istanbul.
Fenerbahce, on the other hand, enter this fixture after suffering their fourth league defeat of the season against Goztepe last week. The Turkish giants are also searching their first Champions League win of the season and will be led by an interim manager and the former Liverpool favourite Dirk Kuyt.
Last 5 games
Before a narrow 1-0 loss against Arsenal, Liverpool enjoyed a five-match winning streak across competitions. Andoni Iraola’s men knocked out Chelsea from the third round of the Carabao Cup and also defeated in-form Brentford and Brighton in league games. Liverpool also recorded goal-laden wins against Villarreal and LASK to strengthen their position in the Champions League standings.
Meanwhile, Fenerbahche endured their second-consective defeat in their last match against Goztepe. They also suffered an heavy 6-0 defeat against Aston Villa and a derby loss to Galatasaray. Their latest win came against Alanyaspor on October 17, but it remains their only victory in the last five matches across tournaments.
Liverpool: 3rd
Loss: 1-0 vs Arsenal
Win: 1(6)-1(5) vs Chelsea
Win: 2-0 vs Brighton
Win: 4-3 vs Villarreal
Win: 1-2 vs Brentford
Fenerbahce: 31st
Loss: 1-2 vs Goztepe
Loss: 2-1 vs Galatasaray
Draw: 2-2 vs Slavia Praha
Win: 3-0 vs Alanyaspor
Loss: 6-0 vs Aston Villa
Team News
Liverpool are expected to rotate their starting eleven for the Istanbul trip in hoping to rest the key figures after losing to Arsenal two days ago.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Victor Munoz returned from the injuries in the last game and are expected to feature in the starting lineup on Wednesday. Rising prospects Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni are likely to retain their place, with the English forward starting in Liverpool’s all three Champions League games this season.
Florian Wirtz is likely to pave the way, along with Bradley Barcola, Jeremy Jacquet and Cody Gapko as all are expected to feature heavily in the November international fixtures.
Meanwhile, Fenerbahce are to play their second consecutive game under interim manager Dirk Kuyt. After missing the last game against Goztepe due to an illness, the in-form forward Mason Greenwood is declared all fit for the Liverpool clash. Vedat Muriqi, Fenerbahce’s leading goalscorer this season, is expected to replace out-of-form Romelu Lukaku at front.
Nathan Ake, Marco Asensio remain on the sidelines for the hosts while the traveling side miss out on injured duo of Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong.
Possible Lineups:
Liverpool: Alisson Becker; Ronald Araujo, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Konstantinos Tsimikas; Trey Nyoni, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai; Rio Ngumoha, Victor Munoz, Isak Alexander
Fenerbahce: Ederson; Nelson Semedo, Kojo Peprah Oppong, Milan Skriniar, Levent Mercan; N’Golo Kante, Matteo Guendouzi; Oguz Aydin, Mason Greenwood, Kerem Akturkoglu; Vedat Muriqi
Head-to-Head
Liverpool and Fenerbahce have never played against each other in a competitive tournament, so this fixture marks the first-ever game between these two teams. Meanwhile, Liverpool have a poor record against the Turkish sides Galatasaray and Besiktas, which could give some confidence to Dirk Kuyt’s side on Wednesday.
Where Will The Game Be Decided?
Goals. Liverpool have been dominant at front in the Champions League this season with 12 goals scored in three games. After a goalless evening against Arsenal at home, Liverpool could be raring to score some against Fenerbahce.
Alexis Mac Allister’s role could be vital once again, as the Argentine midfieler enjoys the strong run with three goals in the Champions League this season. He scored a sensational brace against Villarreal and was Liverpool’s best player against Arsenal last week. Mac Allister could look to exploit Fenerbahce’s defence, which leaked six goals against Aston Villa.
Prediction
Liverpool are predicted to return to the winning ways with a dominant win against a struggling side. As the Reds enjoy a three-match winning run in the Champions League, the hosts seek their first win in the tournament. However, considering the quality in Fenerbahce’s experienced squad, the Reds are expected to be not complacent.
Fenerbahce are facing a tough task, especially after back-to-back defeats in their last two games. Dirk Kuyt’s successful stint as a Liverpool player could give them some insights, but given the both teams form and their position in the standings, the English side is likely to bag three points on Wednesday.
Our Prediction: Fenerbahce 1-3 Liverpool
Odds
Fenerbahce win: 9/2
Draw: 19/5
Liverpool win: 4/7
Even after their loss against Arsenal at home, the odds remains in favour of Liverpool. The Reds’ winning probability is around 60% on various betting markets, while there are only 20% chance of the hosts winning this clash. If you bet £10 on Liverpool’s win, and they walk away with three points, then you could get £15.71 in return. However, you could win whooping £55.00 in return if you bet £10 on Fenerbahce’s win against Liverpool.
