Sevilla vs Fenerbahce prediction: EUROPE: Europa League – Play Offs betting tips on match 2023-03-08 20:00.
Considering Sevilla’s dire domestic campaign, invoked memories of a dramatic shootout defeat in the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League to Fenerbahçe means the Turkish side are probably the last thing on the Sevillista menu. Still, the hosts know the importance of a last 16 Europa League (UEL) clash, as they’ve gone on to win this competition every time they’ve reached the quarter finals!
Royalty in this arena, it’s the tenth successive campaign that Sevilla have placed within the last 16 teams for a continental competition, a period that includes four UEL titles. But the La Liga strugglers, who drag with them a four-game winless competitive run (D1, L3) bookended by an embarrassing 6-1 defeat at Atlético Madrid, may need to make home advantage tell, and a third successive 3-0 home victory in UEFA competition would make them huge favourites to progress.
The Turks represent ferocious visitors however, and led by attacking talents such as Enner Valencia they will surely put pressure on Sevilla’s flailing season, not least because they are six games unbeaten on their UEFA travels this campaign (W3, D3). Fenerbahçe boss Jorge Jesus has refused to get carried away, pointing out the difficulty of the tie by stating that Sevilla "are the Real Madrid of the Europa League".
It’s perhaps hard to blame him for harbouring some doubts, as what he calls an "unhappy history" with Sevilla includes a 2013/14 UEL final defeat to the Spanish side when he was in charge of Benfica. Yet, a Fenerbahçe side guarding a seven-match unbeaten run (W6, D1) certainly appears capable of improving on their best-ever continental campaign, which remains reaching the UEL semi-finals in 2012/13.
Key battle: All-action defender Marcos Acuña, who once played under Jesus for Sporting Lisbon, may be key to Sevilla’s hopes. The defender has picked up yellow cards in three successive outings and might have his hands full again when facing Fenerbahçe’s Valencia, who has eight goals from his last four appearances!
Hot streak: Sevilla’s last five UEL contests have seen only one side score.