UEFA Champions League | 2026-08-18 19:00
Chobani Stadium Fenerbahce Sukru Saracoglu, Istanbul
📊 Match Insights
Fenerbahce and Lyon are on the brink of advancing to the coveted league phase, as they kick off their Champions League playoff on Tuesday evening.
Competing for one of the seven available spots in Europe’s elite tournament, the two teams will face off at Istanbul's Stadyumu Sukru Saracoglu for the first leg of their matchup.
Fenerbahce, having been eliminated nine times in qualifying since their sixth appearance in 2008, is eager to secure a place in the Champions League group stage.
Last year, they were knocked out by Benfica, leading to Jose Mourinho's departure and the subsequent hiring of Domenico Tedesco.
Despite Tedesco's efforts, Fenerbahce fell short again, finishing three points behind their city rivals Galatasaray in the Super Lig title race.
The team also reached the knockout stage of the Europa League but was eliminated by Nottingham Forest, resulting in Tedesco's replacement with Ismail Kartal.
In his initial competitive matches, Kartal led Fenerbahce to victories over Gornik Zabrze and Sturm Graz in the second and third rounds of Champions League qualifying, although they faced a significant setback domestically.
Determined to break Galatasaray's hold, the Yellow Canaries began their season with a surprising 2-1 loss to Genclerbirligi, despite Talisca scoring for the fifth consecutive match.
With little time to regroup, Fenerbahce must now concentrate on their sixth encounter with Lyon, marking the second meeting in three seasons after a goalless draw in the 2024-25 Europa League.
📈 League Table (Position)
Standings are not available for this match.
📉 Team Form (Last 5 Matches)
Fenerbahçe
L
W
W
D
W
Lyon
W
L
L
W
L
🏥 Injuries & absences
Fenerbahçe
E. Demir
- Inactive
Diego Carlos
- Inactive
A. Diouf
- Lacking Match Fitness
O. Fayed
- Inactive
R. Lukaku
- Inactive
O. Mimovic
- Inactive
A. Musaba
- Injury
J. Oosterwolde
- Achilles Tendon Injury
Rodrigo Becao
- Inactive
C. Under
- Inactive
M. Yandas
- Inactive
A. Yesilyurt
- Inactive
Ederson
- Illness
M. Gunok
- Muscle Injury
C. Soyuncu
- Injury
E. Demir
- Inactive
Diego Carlos
- Inactive
A. Diouf
- Lacking Match Fitness
O. Fayed
- Inactive
R. Lukaku
- Inactive
O. Mimovic
- Inactive
A. Musaba
- Injury
J. Oosterwolde
- Achilles Tendon Injury
Rodrigo Becao
- Inactive
C. Under
- Inactive
M. Yandas
- Inactive
A. Yesilyurt
- Inactive
Ederson
- Illness
M. Gunok
- Muscle Injury
C. Soyuncu
- Injury
Lyon
M. Bidstrup
- Knee Injury
K. Merah
- Ankle Injury
P. Sulc
- Knee Injury
M. Bidstrup
- Knee Injury
K. Merah
- Ankle Injury
P. Sulc
- Knee Injury
