A fascinating first-leg game between Olympiacos and Fenerbahce saw the Greek team almost squander a 3-0 lead. The 3-2 result certainly gives Fenerbahce more hope of progressing forward, especially if you count the fact that the return game will be in Turkey. We are going to be treated to another wild Balkan clash with high stakes here.
Fenerbahce Team News
İsmail Kartal will certainly be relieved that his boys managed to at least narrow the final score to 3-2 in the first leg, because up until the 68th minute, things were looking grim for his side. Nevertheless, Fenerbahce’s defensive stability leaves a lot to be desired. During the group stage of the Conference League, the team conceded a total of 11 goals. And despite winning all 3 home fixtures, they managed to keep a clean sheet in just 1 of them. In the knockout phase of the tournament, Fenerbahce lost their home time to Royale Union but managed to bounce back during the second game. If we tally everything up we will see a clear trend – the Turkish team is shaky in defence and concedes often, even if they do win games.
Olympiacos Team News
Despite the 2 goals by Fenerbahce, Olympiacos still managed to retain an advantage heading into the second game, albeit a modest one and certainly less than what they would have liked. But the Greek team can look for inspiration in several places. One of them is the fact that they managed to progress to this stage of the Conference League after a fantastic away game against Maccabi Tel Aviv that was won 1-6 and proved enough to wash the shame of the 1-4 home defeat. Another reason for confidence could be the good record that Olympiacos holds against Turkish teams – 7 wins from their last 12 fixtures with such teams. Lastly – Olympiacos has never gone beyond this stage in any European competition so they could be on the precipice of writing history here.
Head-to-Head-Games
Looking at the head-to-head games we can identify that Fenerbahce has never won against Olympiacos in an official game. The only 2 wins by the Turks come in friendly meetings. From the 3 competitive games these sides have played, it is Olympiacos that always came out on top. The first-leg tie was also the first time in which Fenerbahce managed to score a goal against their Greek opponents.
Fenerbahce – Olympiacos Betting Prediction
My pick for this game would be for both teams to score. Fenerbahce has some issues with their defensive game and leaks goals regularly. But in the meantime, they have also proven their scoring ability. Olympiacos’ situation is virtually the same and they have also showcased their mental resilience and determination to pick themselves up away from home and grind out a positive result. Both teams will look for goals, both have shown they know how to score them and both have also displayed some defensive lapses. For these reasons I believe that both teams to score here is a good pick.
Betting Tip: Both Teams To Score: Yes
Bookmaker: Sportsbet.io
Odds: 1.63
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