Fenerbahçe and Lyon are two matches away from the Champions League league phase as they begin their playoff tie at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium on Tuesday evening.

The Turkish runners-up have already eliminated Górnik Zabrze and Sturm Graz, while Lyon recovered from a first-leg defeat against Sparta Prague to reach the final qualifying round. Fenerbahçe’s domestic campaign started badly at the weekend, but their home performances in Europe provide Ismail Kartal’s side with reason for confidence against opponents returning to the Champions League after a lengthy absence.

Fenerbahçe look to put league setback behind them

Fenerbahçe’s repeated failures to reach the Champions League proper have become a source of considerable frustration, with their last appearance in the competition’s main stage coming back in 2008.

Another near miss came last season when Benfica eliminated them in qualifying, a result that contributed to José Mourinho’s departure. Domenico Tedesco subsequently took charge and guided Fenerbahçe to another second-place finish in the Turkish Super Lig, three points behind Galatasaray, before leaving at the end of the campaign.

Kartal has returned for another spell in charge and made an encouraging start in Europe. Fenerbahçe overcame Górnik Zabrze in the second qualifying round before seeing off Sturm Graz to move within one tie of finally ending their Champions League absence.

Their domestic opener provided a sharp reminder that all is not yet well. Saturday’s 2-1 defeat against Gençlerbirliği was a major disappointment for a club determined to end Galatasaray’s domestic dominance, although Talisca continued his excellent individual form by scoring for a fifth successive match.

The Brazilian has found the net in all four Champions League qualifiers this season and will again carry a significant part of the attacking responsibility on Tuesday.

Kartal does have several availability problems. Sofyan Amrabat, Çağlar Söyüncü and Romelu Lukaku are expected to miss out, while goalkeepers Ederson and Mert Günok are unavailable. Jayden Oosterwolde is also sidelined after suffering a hamstring tendon injury.

There is still plenty of quality available, with summer arrivals Nathan Aké and Vedat Muriqi eligible to feature. Muriqi returns to Fenerbahçe after scoring 23 La Liga goals last season and gives Kartal another proven option in attack.

Most importantly, Fenerbahçe have been difficult to overcome at home in Champions League qualifying. They are unbeaten in their last six such matches in Istanbul and have won both home qualifiers this season without conceding.

Lyon chasing Champions League return

Lyon were once Champions League regulars, appearing in the group stage 16 times, but their most recent campaign in Europe’s leading competition came in 2019-20 when they reached the semi-finals.

Paulo Fonseca’s side earned another opportunity by finishing fourth in Ligue 1 last season, while their Europa League campaign ended against Celta Vigo in the last 16.

Their return to Champions League qualifying almost ended at the first hurdle. A 2-1 defeat away to Sparta Prague left Lyon under pressure ahead of the return fixture, but they responded with a 3-0 home victory after the Czech side were reduced to 10 men. Ainsley Maitland-Niles was among the scorers after being supplied by captain Corentin Tolisso, who responded well after missing a penalty in the first leg.

Lyon now face the difficult task of visiting Istanbul before beginning their Ligue 1 season away to Toulouse, with the second leg against Fenerbahçe following shortly afterwards.

Fonseca also has injury problems to manage. Khalis Merah, Mads Bistrup and Pavel Šulc are unavailable, with the latter a particularly significant absence.

Financial restrictions have limited Lyon’s options in the transfer market, although Zachary Athekame and Loïs Openda have arrived on loan from AC Milan and Juventus respectively. Openda adds pace and experience to an attack that will need to exploit any opportunities Fenerbahçe provide.

Lyon showed against Sparta that they can recover from adversity, but avoiding another first-leg deficit would make their task considerably easier this time.

Verdict

Fenerbahçe’s defeat to Gençlerbirliği was a poor way to begin their domestic campaign, but their European performances in Istanbul have been much more convincing.

Kartal’s side have won both home qualifiers without conceding, and Talisca’s outstanding scoring run gives them a reliable attacking threat despite several important absences.

Lyon possess enough quality to keep the tie competitive and demonstrated their resilience against Sparta Prague, but Fenerbahçe’s home record and greater competitive rhythm could make the difference on Tuesday.

Tip

Fenerbahçe to win.