AS Roma and Fenerbahçe return to the UEFA Champions League after a long wait and will now face each other in their opening UCL fixture this season on Thursday at the Chobani Stadyumu in Istanbul.
Fenerbahçe vs AS Roma – Match preview and team news
- Date: Thursday, 10th September.
- Kick-off: 5:45pm BST.
- Venue: Çobanı Stadyumu, Istanbul.
Fenerbahçe team news
Fenerbahçe SK enters their highly anticipated UEFA Champions League opener facing significant selection headaches due to a mix of disciplinary issues and injuries.
Manager Ismail Kartal will have to navigate this elite European clash without the services of midfielder Mattéo Guendouzi, who is serving a suspension following his involvement in a post-match brawl during the playoff triumph over Lyon.
The defensive unit is also depleted; defender Jayden Oosterwolde is completely sidelined after undergoing surgery for a severe hamstring injury.
Additionally, Spanish playmaker Marco Asensio remains highly doubtful to feature due to an ongoing thigh strain.
To complicate matters further, the squad lost major attacking quality in the final days of the transfer window, as Talisca officially completed a permanent move to Al Jazira.
AS Roma team news
AS Roma arrives in Istanbul in a much more favorable position, carrying excellent momentum and a largely healthy squad into their league phase curtain-raiser.
Manager Gian Piero Gasperini has very few injury concerns to fret over, with club captain Lorenzo Pellegrini being the only major absentee from the traveling squad as he continues to rehabilitate a persistent thigh injury.
Aside from Pellegrini, the Italians boast a nearly full-strength roster, allowing Gasperini to field a heavily armed and dangerous attacking setup.
The visitors are expected to be spearheaded by in-form forward Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala, who are both fully fit and ready to anchor the final third.
Furthermore, dynamic winger Matias Soulé and dependable fullback Nahuel Molina are both tipped to be included in the starting eleven.
Form
Fenerbahçe
Fenerbahçe SK enters the continental stage showing highly contrasting form across competitions. The Turkish giants displayed impressive grit by enduring a gruelling six-game qualification route, sealing their league phase spot with a dramatic 3-2 aggregate triumph over Lyon. Domestically, however, their momentum has completely stalled. A disappointing 2-1 derby defeat against Beşiktaş over the weekend has left them languishing in ninth place in the Süper Lig standings.
AS Roma
AS Roma travels to Istanbul in red-hot form, riding a wave of consecutive domestic victories under Gian Piero Gasperini. The Italian side sits atop the Serie A standings after winning all three of their opening league fixtures. They kicked off their campaign with dominant 4-0 thrashings of both Fiorentina and Lecce, before securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Atalanta last weekend to keep their perfect record fully intact.
Predicted lineups
Fenerbahce: Ederson; Muldur, Skriniar, Ake, Brown; Kante, Yuksek; Aydin, Akturkoglu, Greenwood; Muriqi
AS Roma: Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Molina, Cristante, Kone, Wesley; Dybala, Soule; Malen
How to watch Fenerbahçe vs AS Roma?
You can watch the Fenerbahçe SK vs. AS Roma match live in the UK tonight on TNT Sports 2.
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