Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce will host Anderlecht at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in the Europa League playoff round.

Fenerbahçe

Anderlecht

Match Stats

It may seem strange to say Fenerbahce, unbeaten in 12 games and winning eight of their last 10 at home, are underperforming, but their European form has been disappointing. Despite high expectations and a strong squad, they barely made the Europa League playoffs, finishing 24th in the league phase—just ahead of Elfsborg and Braga on goal difference. A 2-2 draw with Midtjylland in their final match extended their winless streak in Europe to three games, but domestically, they’ve found form with three straight league wins, keeping them in the title race.

Mourinho, who has lost four of his last six first legs in European ties, will rely on his experience to turn that record around. Fenerbahce’s last meeting with Anderlecht in 2018 ended in a 2-0 win for the Turkish side, and Anderlecht are still yet to score away to them in Europe.

On the other hand, Anderlecht have been in better European form, finishing 14 places and four points ahead of Fenerbahce in the league phase. Despite two recent losses, they’ve been solid away, taking seven points from three trips. They’ve also had a strong week, reaching the Belgian Cup final and beating Antwerp 2-0 in the league, though they now focus on securing European spots, sitting 15 points behind Genk in the league.