Champions League
2025-08-20 - Fenerbahce vs Benfica
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: UEFA Champions League Play Off Round First Leg
Wednesday 20th August 2025 - Kick Off 8pm
Preview
There is little doubt that this feels like the best of the Play Off Round ties to be played over the next week and both Fenerbahce and Benfica may feel that their rightful place is in the Champions League Group Stage.
The Portuguese club have just been playing in the United States at the Club World Cup so have to certainly believe that they should be a part of the best thirty-six teams on the European continent. A comfortable 4-0 aggregate win over Nice, which saw Benfica win both Legs by the same 2-0 scoreline, will only have increased the confidence of a group of players that have begun the domestic campaign with another win and another clean sheet.
Benfica will be preparing for a significant test when heading over to Istanbul for the First Leg of this tie and they will be keen to head back home with any kind of positive result. Last season they reached the Last 16 of the Champions League and Benfica won 4 of the 6 away ties played in that competition before finding Barcelona too good.
Quarter Final runs in the Champions League in 2023 and Europa League in 2024 underlines the kind of quality that Benfica can call upon and they will certainly feel they can pose problems for Fenerbahce, even away from home.
The loss at Barcelona is the last one that Benfica have suffered away from home in all competitions and they will be looking to push that unbeaten run to 10 games on their travels. More impressive is the fact that Benfica have won 8 of their last 9 away games in all competitions and they may even take some comfort from the fact they beat Fenerbahce in a friendly game last month.
However, Benfica will have plenty of respect for the fact that Fenerbahce are managed by Jose Mourinho, a manager that will be well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the Portuguese club. Jose Mourinho is also a manager that continues to have success at European level, although some may point out that the majority of recent successful runs have been at the Europa League or Conference League level.
Backing that statement up is the fact that Fenerbahce were beaten by Lille in the Champions League Qualifiers last season before eventually losing to Rangers in the Last 16 of the Europa League. Also, it should be noted that Jose Mourinho has not managed in the Champions League Group Stage since his time with Tottenham Hotspur in the 2019/20 season and so there is a personal challenge in front of a manager that has won this competition with Porto and Inter Milan.
Fenerbahce crushed Feyenoord in the Third Qualifying Round having fallen 1-3 behind on aggregate when conceding first in Istanbul in the Second Leg. They eventually won that game 5-2 and the tie 6-4 on aggregate, but Fenerbahce opened the new Turkish domestic season with a disappointing draw having missed an injury time Penalty to earn the victory.
Bouncing back is the challenge for the players, although Fenerbahce have won 3 in a row at home in all competitions since the disappointing 0-1 loss to rivals Besiktas.
Since Jose Mourinho took over as manager, Fenerbahce have won 5 of their 9 home European ties played and have been beaten twice.
These clubs last met in the Champions League Qualifiers of the 2018/19 season and it was Benfica who narrowly earned their place in the Play Off Round. The Second Leg in Istanbul ended 1-1 in August 2018, while 2 previous games hosted by Fenerbahce against Benfica both ended in 1-0 wins in 1975 and 2013.
Prediction
Both of these teams will be feeling they have the qualities needed to find their way into the Champions League Group Stage and both may feel a touch disappointed that they are facing one another.
You would imagine that Fenerbahce would have felt pretty good if they had been drawn to face Club Brugge, and Benfica likewise if they were facing Rangers, but the focus has to be on the tie that has been handed to them.
Over the two Legs the edge feels like it is with Benfica, especially hosting next week, but Fenerbahce can make things tough and they have to play on the front foot in the First Leg.
Any kind of lead to protect in Lisbon is key, but Fenerbahce are not exactly watertight at the back, even with the experience of Jose Mourinho to guide them.
In 9 home games played in Europe under the current manager, 5 have ended with both teams scoring and the same number with at least three goals shared out.
Benfica are likely to want to get forward too and try and put the pressure on Fenerbahce and this could lead to an entertaining First Leg.
The lean was with Benfica securing some kind of positive result, but Fenerbahce have racked up plenty of wins here over the last twelve months and instead backing at least three goals to be shared out looks worthy of an interest.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Fenerbahce 2-2 Benfica
