Royale Union SG – Fenerbahce : Preview & Prediction
Belgian side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise continue to perform at their best on the European stage, showing tremendous maturity to come from two goals down to eliminate Eintracht Frankfurt in the knockout round of the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) play-offs. Since drawing the first leg of that tie, “Les Unionistes” have won five consecutive matches and, as a result, should head into this first-ever clash against Turkish opposition full of confidence.
Alexander Blessin’s men are eight points clear at the top of the Belgian Jupiler Pro League and will be eager to add a second consecutive European quarter-final to their domestic dominance if they can beat Fenerbahçe. The home first leg should be an advantage for them as they have lost only two of their last 11 European home games (6 wins, 3 draws), including a famous victory over six-time European champions Liverpool in December.
Turkish giants Fenerbahçe provide fearsome opposition to that record, having lost just once in 19 competitive matches (G15, E3) after a humiliating 6-1 defeat to Nordsjælland in the UECL group stage. That helped İsmail Kartal’s men top their group and into this Round of 16 tie, a result visiting fans should appreciate given Fenerbahçe’s dominant record against Belgian opponents (G4, E3, P1).
That includes an active six-game unbeaten streak (G4, E2), and with the Turkish side having lost just three of their previous 13 away games in European competition (G7, E3), this trip is unlikely to faze them. However, two of those defeats came in this year’s UECL, a span in which Fenerbahce conceded eight goals and scored just one.
Players to watch: Gustaf Nilsson is a man in form for the Union, having directly contributed to seven goals in their last ten games (G4, A3), including the equalizer against Frankfurt in his side’s last European home game. After being on the bench for much of the group stage, Fenerbahçe striker Edin Džeko will play a prominent role here looking to build on his form that has seen him score a whopping 22 goals so far this season.
Key stat: Union Saint-Gilloise have conceded eight of the 11 goals they have conceded in Europe this season in the first 45 minutes.
Royale Union SG – Fenerbahce : Betting Tips
Royale Union SG – Win Odds: 2.25
