Fenerbahçe vs Nottingham Forest – Match preview and team news

Istanbul’s Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium will stage the first leg of the Europa League play-off round this evening as Nottingham Forest open a new chapter under Vítor Pereira against a resurgent Fenerbahçe. Pereira, appointed on Sunday, becomes the club’s fourth permanent manager of the season—a Premier League record—and takes charge only days after predecessor Sean Dyche was dismissed despite 15 goals in eight continental fixtures, Forest’s best return since 1978-79.

The Reds finished 13th in the league phase, two points shy of automatic qualification, and arrive in Turkey on the back of consecutive domestic victories. Yet defensive concerns dominate team news: Chris Wood and Willy Boly are both sidelined with knee problems, goalkeeper Matz Sels is out with a groin injury, and centre-back Murillo will undergo a late fitness test. Elliot Anderson is expected to start in midfield despite carrying yellow-card risk, while Igor Jesus leads the attack after matching the club’s Europa League scoring record with six goals; one more would set a new benchmark for a single European campaign. January recruit Lorenzo Lucca could debut from the bench.

Fenerbahçe, 19th in the league phase, have hit form under Domenico Tedesco with four straight domestic wins and have never lost consecutive home games in Europe. January additions N’Golo Kanté and Matteo Guendouzi are set to anchor a 4-2-3-1, shielding a back line that has conceded 1.4 goals per game this term. Anderson Talisca and Kerem Aktürkoğlu remain the primary attacking threats, though the “Yellow Canaries” have won only one of their last nine encounters against English opposition and have collected a competition-high 33 yellow cards in eight outings. Archie Brown, Abdou Fall and Emre Mor are unavailable.

Pereira carries a personal streak of winning his first match in each of his last seven managerial appointments, a run Forest hope will inject momentum into a side that has managed only three wins in 13 recent matches. The visitors’ continental away record offers encouragement: they have consistently outperformed their expected goals on the road. Stabilising a depleted defence against a midfield bolstered by Kanté and Guendouzi will be the Portuguese coach’s immediate priority.

Fenerbahçe Predicted XI: Ederson; Semedo, Skriniar, Oosterwolde, Muldur; Kanté, Guendouzi; Nene, Asensio, Aktürkoğlu; Talisca.

Nottingham Forest Predicted XI: Gunn; Aina, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams; Anderson, Sangare; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus.

Kick-off is at 17:00 GMT with live coverage on TNT Sports 3 and streaming via discovery+.