Fenerbahce vs Dyn. Kyiv prediction: EUROPE: Europa League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2022-09-07 16:45.
Turkish side Fenerbahçe will lock horns with Dynamo Kiev on Thursday for the second time this season, after both sides coincidently faced each other in July’s UEFA Champions League (UCL) second qualifying round. The Ukrainians prevailed 2-1 on aggregate in that encounter, leaving Jorge Jesus’s men to battle through four Europa League (UEL) qualifying matches in order to reach the group stages (W3, D1), during a spate of qualifiers in which Fenerbahçe scored the opening goal every time.
Fenerbahçe’s domestic form has been imperfect but undeniably entertaining, with Saturday’s 2-0 win at home to Kayserispor making it a combined total of 21 goals seen across their five league matches so far (W3, D1, L1). The Yellow Canaries are the top scorers in the Turkish Süper Lig with 15 strikes, and have netted three or more goals in four of their six home games across all competitions, so Jesus may see attack as the best form of defence as his side seeks to avenge July’s narrow UCL defeat.
Dynamo couldn’t quite capitalise on beating Fenerbahçe in the latter UCL qualifying rounds, eventually falling 5-0 on aggregate to Jorse Jesus’ former side Benfica in the final play-off fixture. On top of that, last season’s Ukrainian Premier League runners-up have endured a poor domestic start to their campaign, with Saturday’s 3-2 loss at Zorya making it consecutive defeats and six goals conceded in their opening two fixtures.
Veteran manager Mircea Lucescu will emphasise defensive improvements if his side are to pick up a second successive positive result in Istanbul. The Blue and Whites recorded four clean sheets in the group stage when they made their most successful UEL appearance back in 2014/15, reaching the quarter finals before being knocked out by Fiorentina. This goes some way to highlighting the significance of a solid defensive foundation during these preliminary group stage fixtures.
Players to watch: Joshua King has scored in his last three appearances for Fenerbahçe, including netting two openers before the tenth minute. Meanwhile, Dynamo won all 11 games last season when midfielder Viktor Tsyhankov found the net.
Hot stat: Late drama – there’s been six goals scored in added time (both first and second half) across Fenerbahçe’s 11 fixtures in all competitions this season.