The Turks will try to bounce back from the thrashing. Fenerbahçe vs Slavia Prague prediction
On October 20, Fenerbahçe will host Slavia Prague in the third round of the league phase of the Champions League. The match will take place at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in Istanbul, with kick-off at 18:45 CET. I am backing a bet on the winner of this game.
H2H and statistical facts
- Both teams scored in all three previous meetings.
- Slavia have conceded all five of their goals in this season's Champions League in the second half.
- Fenerbahçe have won their last two home matches by an aggregate score of 11-0.
- Slavia have failed to score in two consecutive matches.
Fenerbahçe
Fenerbahçe head into this match after suffering a heavy blow in the Champions League. In the previous round, the Turkish club were thrashed 6-0 by Aston Villa. The result served as a serious warning for the team: their defence could not cope with the opponents' attacking pressure, while their own attempts to create danger came to nothing. Before that, the Istanbul side drew 1-1 with Roma, meaning they have just one point after two rounds.
At the same time, Fenerbahçe's results in the domestic league look far more convincing. The team demolished Eyüpspor 8-0 before comfortably beating Rizespor away from home, 3-0. Those matches showed that the hosts possess enough attacking firepower to create chances and claim big wins when opponents fail to apply constant pressure.
The Istanbul side's main task will be to rebuild their confidence after the thrashing in England. At home, Fenerbahçe should be more proactive going forward, use the flanks and get the ball into the opponents' penalty area more often. However, the team must not become too carried away in attack: Slavia are capable of transitioning quickly from defence to attack and can exploit any space left behind.
Another advantage for the Turkish club will be the support of their home crowd. Fenerbahçe need to pick up points if they are to avoid making their quest to continue in the tournament even more difficult. A victory over the Prague side would allow them to put the Aston Villa setback behind them and restore their confidence ahead of their next European fixtures.
Slavia Prague
Slavia also made a disappointing start to the league phase of the Champions League. In the opening round, the Czech club lost 3-2 to Lens before suffering a 2-0 defeat to Azerbaijan's Sabah. As a result, the Prague side are yet to pick up a single point. The second result was particularly painful: the team failed to score and now travel to Istanbul under pressure to turn their fortunes around.
Slavia have looked far more consistent in the domestic championship. At the beginning of October, they beat Zlín 1-0, but in their final match before travelling to Turkey, they drew 0-0 at home with Hradec Králové. From the 55th minute onwards, the Prague side were down to ten men following Tomáš Chorý's red card. Dropping points was an unwelcome warning ahead of an important Champions League clash, although they remain top of the First League by a comfortable margin.
Slavia's strength remains their high-intensity football, featuring aggressive pressing and quick ball progression. The Prague side will look to disrupt Fenerbahçe's build-up and force the hosts into mistakes when playing out from the back. But after two defeats in Europe, they must improve their finishing: without goals, it will be difficult to secure a positive result in Istanbul.
The head-to-head history also promises an intriguing contest. In February 2022, Slavia beat Fenerbahçe twice by a score of 3-2, but in November 2024 the Turkish club defeated the Prague side 2-1 on their own turf. These results show that both teams are capable of causing each other plenty of problems, while home advantage is no guarantee of an easy game for the hosts.
Projected lineups
- Fenerbahçe: Ederson, Semedo, Škriniar, Aké, Brown, Yüksek, Guendouzi, Kahveci, Aydın, Greenwood, Muriki.
- Slavia Prague: Markovič, Zima, N'Guessan, Holeš, Vlček, Sturm, Sadílek, Moses, Ayáosi, Provod, Chorý.
What to bet on?
Both teams desperately need a victory, so we should not expect a cagey affair. Fenerbahçe will be eager to redeem themselves in front of their supporters after the thrashing by Aston Villa, while Slavia must end their run of European disappointment. The home advantage and the Turkish club's more convincing domestic form tip the scales in favour of the hosts, and I am backing them to win.
