The fifth week of the UEFA Europa Conference League promises to deliver riveting moments as Turkish Süper Lig giants will be in action – Fenerbahçe facing Nordsjaelland away, while Beşiktaş hosts Club Brugge on Thursday.
Fenerbahçe will be on a mission to stamp their authority at the pinnacle of Group H as they aim to vanquish Nordsjaelland once and for all.
With nine victories and a single defeat in 10 European matches this season, the Yellow Canaries are well poised to advance into the knockout stages with either a win or a draw.
Ismail Kartal's men, securing nine points with three wins in four group matches, currently reign supreme at the summit of the group ahead of Nordsjaelland with seven points, Ludogorets with six and Spartak Trnava with a solitary point.
In their previous encounter in Istanbul, Fenerbahçe painted Kadiköy yellow as always as they emerged victorious with a 3-1 score against their Danish rivals.
If Fenerbahçe manage a draw on Thursday, provided Ludogorets drop points against Spartak Trnava, they will secure a spot in the next round with one match to spare.
In the final week of Group H, the Yellow Canaries will host Spartak Trnava, while Ludogorets and Nordsjaelland will face each other in a crucial battle.
Setbacks
Ahead of the Nordsjaelland match, Fenerbahçe will be without the services of seven players due to injuries.
Alexander Djiku, Rodrigo Becao, Mert Hakan Yandaş and Ferdi Kadıoğlu will be forced to watch from the stands, while Serdar Aziz, Fred and Miha Zajc are not expected to feature in the Danish clash.
However, with the Joshua King and Michy Batchuayi fully fit and firing on all cylinders, Fenerbahçe's gaffer, Ismail Kartal, will be expected to call upon the services of this exciting duo.
This season, the two players have directly contributed to 12 goals in European matches.
Batshuayi, appearing in nine out of 10 matches, scored four goals and provided three assists, while Joshua King, in seven European appearances, netted three goals and provided two assists.
In response to the defensive challenges posed by injuries to Becao, Djiku, and Serdar Aziz, and with Samet Akaydın not listed in the UEFA squad, coach Kartal deployed Oosterwolde-Yusuf Akçiçek in the central defense against Ludogorets.
With Kadıoğlu's injury, Kartal will have to explore options in this area.
Kartal will have to contemplate fielding Crespo alongside young talent Yusuf Akçiçek in the center of defense, moving Oosterwolde to his natural position as a left-back.
In the right-back position, Osayi-Samuel is expected to secure his spot.
Including Yusuf Akçiçek in the starting XI, Ismail Kartal will complete the squad by reinforcing it with promising players from the youth academy.
Muhammet İmre, Furkan Onur Akyüz, Efekan Karayazı, Ahmet Necat Aydın, and Kaan Akyazı are anticipated to be included in the squad.
Synthetic turf
The Right to Dream Park, hosting Nordsjaelland's matches with a capacity of 10,300 spectators, stands out with its 100% synthetic surface.
Due to weather conditions in Denmark, Nordsjaelland plays its matches on synthetic turf, prompting Fenerbahçe to tailor their preparations accordingly.
The Yellow Canaries will step onto the field with special cleats for the artificial surface and thermal materials to combat the expected -5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit) temperature at the match hour.
During the Nordsjaelland tie, Fenerbahçe will mark their 265th appearance on the continental stage.
Having played 264 matches in European tournaments, Fenerbahçe boast 104 victories, 105 defeats and 55 draws.
They have netted 355 goals while conceding 374.
Fenerbahçe suffered their only defeat in European competitions this season in the UEFA Europa Conference League, losing 2-0 to Ludogorets in the group stage.
After showcasing a remarkable performance with nine consecutive victories in qualifiers and group matches, Fenerbahçe seek redemption by securing a positive result in Denmark.
Eagles' wet wings
Moving on to the struggling Beşiktaş, the Black Eagles will host Belgian side Club Brugge.
Beşiktaş, having secured one draw and suffered three defeats in the four group stage matches, sat at the bottom of the group with a single point, eliminating their chances of progressing after a 2-1 defeat to Bodo/Glimt in the fourth week.
On the other hand, Club Brugge, leading the group with 10 points from three victories and one draw, have already guaranteed their spot in the knockout stage.
The first encounter between the two teams in Belgium ended in a 1-1 draw.
Absences
Beşiktaş face a significant number of absentees ahead of the Club Brugge clash.
Necip Uysal, who received a red card in the last match against Bodo/Glimt, will sit out for this one.
Additionally, due to injuries, Daniel Amartey, Eric Bailly, Jean Onana, Salih Uçan, Milot Rashica, Rachid Ghezzal, Valentin Rosier and Arthur Masuaku are sidelined.
Beşiktaş, entering their 241st match in European competitions against Club Brugge, have a record of 90 victories, 48 draws, and 102 defeats in previous matches.
Familiar foes
The Black Eagles have faced Belgian teams nine times in European competitions.
Despite not quite a satisfactory record, Beşiktaş secured two victories, draw draws, and three defeats.
Notably, the 1996-1997 season saw Beşiktaş drawing 0-0 away and winning 3-0 at home against Molenbeek in the UEFA Cup first round.
Familiar territory
Beşiktaş has reached the quarterfinals in European competitions three times.
In the 1986-1987 season, Beşiktaş advanced to the quarterfinals of the European Cup.
They replicated this feat in the 2002-2003 UEFA Cup and the 2016-2017 UEFA Europa League.
Beşiktaş achieved their largest victory in European competitions during the 2018-2019 UEFA Europa League second qualifying round, defeating Faroe Islands representative B36 Torshavn 6-0.
Conversely, they suffered their most humiliating defeat in the 2007-2008 UEFA Champions League, losing 8-0 to English side Liverpool.