Ludogorets – Fenerbahce : Preview & Prediction
Ludogorets have had a fascinating debut in the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) group stage, suffering two away thrashings after claiming an easy 4-0 home win over Spartak Trnava on matchday one. That sequence left them in third place after three rounds in the group stage, and needing to do much to progress beyond a European group stage for the first time since achieving that feat in the Europa League in the 2019/20 season.
Their previous match in this competition was a 3-1 defeat at the hands of their next opponents, Fenerbahce, which contributed to their negative goal difference of -4. But there are some positive signs of a resurgence, as Ludogorets appear to be getting back to their best with three consecutive domestic wins since then — they kept clean sheets in the last two of those matches, while the Eagles managed four wins in their last six European home matches. That should serve as another source of inspiration for this slumping Bulgarian side (E1, P1).
Fenerbahçe lost first place in the Turkish Süper Lig with a surprising 3-2 home loss to Trabzonspor last weekend, ending their perfect start to 2023/24 that featured an astonishing 19 consecutive wins in all competitions. Believing they were a superior team during the weekend’s defeat, a claim vindicated by their dominance of possession and shot count, Fenerbahçe coach İsmail Kartal vowed they will learn from their mistakes ahead of their first trip to Bulgaria in UEFA competition since 1992.
Bouncing back here to secure a fourth straight UECL group stage win would leave them on the brink of advancing directly to the round of 16 as group winners, and that would be no surprise given that the Turkish club advanced past the group stage in eight of their last ten UEFA competitions. In fact, they record a combined 10-1 record in four away wins in the UECL 2023/24, including the knockout rounds, further boosting their strong credentials heading into this clash.
Players to watch: Kwadwo Duah is showing what he can do for his new club after a long injury break, scoring his side’s last three goals. Fenerbahçe striker Dušan Tadić scored two penalties at the weekend, taking his official goal tally this season to eight. He scored four in the UECL and six of the eight from the penalty spot.
Key stat: Both teams have scored in all but two of Fenerbahçe’s last ten matches in group stages of UEFA competitions.
Ludogorets – Fenerbahce : Betting Tips
Ludogorets – Win Odds: 3.25
