Fenerbahce vs. Manchester United: Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

On Thursday night, Jose Mourinho will rekindle friendships with Manchester United when his Fenerbahce squad welcomes the Red Devils to the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium for a Europa League game.

The two teams have gotten together for the first time since November 2016, when Mourinho was leading Manchester United and lost 2-1 away to the Turkish giants in the Europa League group stage.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Erik ten Hag guided the Red Devils to a much-needed 2-1 home victory over Brentford in the Premier League last weekend. The win ended a five-game losing run after ten Hag attacked media segments for "creating stories and fairytales" regarding his future as Man United manager.

Ethan Pinnock's injury-time header caused Man United to trail at the intermission; however, Alejandro Garnacho restored parity with a brilliant volleyball only 89 seconds after the break before Rasmus Hojlund gently chipped in his first Premier League goal of the season to ensure maximum points.

Ten Hag, who sits 12th in the table and still six points behind the top four after eight games, has admitted that "the pressure is always there" when running a club the size of Man United and his team "must build" on their second-half display against Brentford if they wish to put together a positive run of form in the following weeks.

Man United will concentrate on the Europa League before heading to West Ham United in their next Premier League game on Sunday. They have drawn their first two games against FC Twente and Porto, so they saved a point in an exciting 3-3 draw with the latter three weeks ago.

Man United has failed to win any of its past five matches, last experiencing a lengthier run without success between 1980 and 1983 (six). Just one of its last ten European matches, D4 L5, has shown success on the continent.

Since taking over Fenerbahce in June, Mourinho has won eight, drawn four, and lost only two of his initial fourteen games across all competitions; his squad enters Thursday's showdown having not lost any of their past four matches.

Though they lost additional distance on reigning champions Galatasaray at the top after conceding an 88th-minute goal to draw 2-2, the Yellow Canaries were denied maximum points in last weekend's Turkish Super Lig match with Samsunspor.

Though they have a game in hand, Mourinho, who was annoyed with post-match questions from the media and advised reporters to "stop crying" over his selection decisions, sees his Fenerbahce side sitting fourth in the Super Lig standings. They have dropped eight points behind table-toppers Galatasaray.

Reaching the Conference League quarter-finals last season, Fenerbahce has had a strong start to their Europa League campaign this year. They accumulated four points from their first two games, following up a 2-1 victory over Union SG with a 1-1 draw with FC Twente.

Ronaldo has only come out on top in two of his last 17 games against teams he has previously managed (D4 L11), one of which was a 6-1 triumph at Manchester United in charge of Tottenham Hotspur in October 2020. The Yellow Canaries will fancy their chances of success on Thursday as they boast a seven-game unbeaten home run in the Europa League (W4 D3).

Fenerbahce vs. Manchester United Team News

While Filip Kostic, Oguz Aydin, Bartug Elmaz and Levent Mercan have all been left off the Europa League squad, Fenerbahce left-back Jayden Oosterwolde ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament last weekend and will join Cengiz Under (groin), Ismail Yuksek (shoulder), Bright Osayi-Samuel (foot), and Irfan Can Egribayat (muscle) in the treatment room.

Without Oosterwolde, Mourinho could choose Mert Mulder or former Manchester United player Fred as the left-back; Alexander Djiku might play right-back.

If Fred is not deployed at left back, he could operate in a deep-lying midfield role alongside another former Red Devils man, Sofyan Amrabat. Allan Saint-Maximin could replace Kostic on the left wing as Youssef En-Nesyri and former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko fight for a place up front.

Leny Yoro (foot) of Man United has returned to training but is still sidelined with Kobbie Mainoo, Harry Maguire (both muscle), Luke Shaw (calf), Tyrell Malacia (knee), Mason Mount (knock), and Toby Collyer (unspecified).

Following his apparent calf injury against Brentford, Casemiro will be evaluated; if he can participate, he might start in midfield with Manuel Ugarte, with Christian Eriksen filling in for suspended captain Bruno Fernandes.

While Joshua Zirkzee will struggle with Hojlund for a start as the central striker, Noussair Mazraoui is in contention to return at right-back, therefore seeing Diogo Dalot switch to left-back.

Our Predictions

Full time draw @ 3.65 on Sky247.ng

On Thursday, a hard-fought struggle between two teams that will not be at full strength might be in store; given the erratic defensive performances of both sides in past games, goals can also be anticipated.

Man United has scored three goals in its past four European away games, although it has not won. This helps us understand why Mourinho's team is adamant about claiming at least a portion of the riches in Istanbul.

Elevate your betting experience with SKY247 Nigeria. Join now and discover a thrilling world of sports, live events, and exclusive bonuses. Bet with confidence on your favourite teams and games.