Our betting expert expects the Turkish giants to assert their dominance in this fixture and get over the line, taking the advantage with them to Poland.
Best bets for Fenerbahce vs Gornik Zabrze
- Which team to score - Only Fenerbahce at odds of 1.80 on bet365
- Fenerbahce win to nil - Yes at odds of 1.80 on bet365
- Totals & BTTS - Over 2.5 goals & no at odds of 3.00 on bet365
All odds are courtesy of bet365, correct at the time of publishing and subject to change.
- Score sports bonuses at sign up with the bet365 bonus code
- Cover your first bet with a First Bet Shield from BetVictor
- Play with the best sports betting sites in Canada when betting on sports online
Turkish atmosphere to stun visitors
Fenerbahce’s quality should shine through, especially since they’ll be playing in front of a crowded stadium in Istanbul. Their three pre-season friendlies indicated how efficient they are in the final third. Fener scored 12 goals in three matches, at an average of four goals per game.
Even though the Polish side failed to score only once across their last five matches, facing a team of the Turkish giants’ stature will be challenging. Playing away in Istanbul isn’t a task that even the greatest teams in Europe look forward to. Consequently, the visiting team may find it difficult to control the match.
The hosts have a record of being the only scorers on the day in two of their recent three club friendlies. That makes it three of the last five games in which only Fenerbahce have found the back of the net. Playing at home, we suggest backing them to be the only team that scores.
- Fenerbahce vs Gornik Zabrze Betting Tip 1: Which team to score - Only Fenerbahce at odds of 1.80 on bet365
Fener should be clinical about a victory
The hosts will enter this fixture in great form. They won three consecutive matches, which is part of a six-game unbeaten run. Their only two defeats in their last 10 came to Turkish champions Galatasaray and Konyaspor in the Turkish Cup quarter-finals. Kartal will want to defeat his opponents in the first leg, giving him more flexibility to bring in his recruits for the next match.
For the visitors, they’ve recorded inconsistent results across their recent five outings. They’ve lost two of their last four matches, winning just once in that run. Gasparik’s men lost to RB Salzburg at the start of July, which doesn’t inspire confidence that they can cause an upset in Istanbul.
Fenerbahce are currently ranked 145 places above Gornik in the European standings, which indicates they are the clear favorites in this match. The Turkish team should demonstrate their superior quality and win the match easily against the visiting team.
- Fenerbahce vs Gornik Zabrze Betting Tip 2: Fenerbahce win to nil - Yes at odds of 1.80 on bet365
New signings to spur hosts on
There should be plenty of goals in this match, especially considering the new signings that the Turkish side have made. They are a dangerous outfit in front of goal, and their recent flurry in their friendly outings suggests they won’t stop here. Fenerbahce scored a minimum of three goals in five of their last six matches.
Half of those games saw only Fener score on the day, which isn’t a far-fetched prediction for this first-leg Champions League qualifier. Three of Gornik’s last five matches produced more than two goals. Meanwhile, two of the visitors’ recent three matches saw only one team or none score at all.
As a result, we expect the hosts to score freely while remaining resolute at the back against the Polish side. Two of their previous three friendlies have seen Fener win without allowing the opposition to score. For this reason, it’s worth backing only the Turkish side to score goals on Tuesday night.
- Fenerbahce vs Gornik Zabrze Betting Tip 3: Totals & BTTS - Over 2.5 goals & no at odds of 3.00 on bet365
Our analysis: Form of both teams
- Score prediction: Fenerbahce 3-0 Gornik Zabrze
- Goalscorers prediction: Fenerbahce: Marco Asensio, Talisca x2
Fenerbahce are currently rebuilding their team after finishing as runners-up to Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Lig last season. Fener lost in these Champions League qualifiers under the guidance of Jose Mourinho in the recent past. In a cruel twist of fate, he moved on to Benfica, who eventually knocked the Istanbul side out of the competition.
Then Domenico Tedesco took over, but also failed to get them to the end in the Europa League, as they lost to Nottingham Forest. Now, Ismail Kartal has returned for a fourth spell in charge, and his new period in charge has started with many new player signings. Vedat Muriqi, Nathan Ake, and Mason Greenwood have all been added to the team to help end their league drought since 2014.
However, they’ll have a chance to progress to the next qualifying round of the Champions League with a victory in this first leg against the Polish side. Fener have enjoyed a decent pre-season so far, beating LASK Linsk in their last match. For Gornik Zabrze, they’re heading into this fixture after losing the Polish Super Cup to Lech Poznan last Thursday.
The Miners ended a 38-year trophy drought by winning their first major title last season, with veteran Lukas Podolski lifting the cup. However, he’s now in the boardroom, and Michal Gasparik is eager to lead his team to the next round of qualifiers. If either side fail at this stage, they’d drop down to the Europa League qualifiers, something neither of them would prefer.
Probable lineups for Fenerbahce vs Gornik Zabrze
Fenerbahce expected lineup: Gunok, Muldur, Skriniar, Oosterwolde, Mercan, Guendouzi, Fred, Kahveci, Asensio, Akturkoglu, Talisca
Gornik Zabrze expected lineup: Schulze, Janicki, Sacek, Josema, Janza, Donio, Sadilek, Urbanski, Ismaheel, Prekop, Khlan