Van Persie vs. Mourinho – who will take a step towards the CL?
When two extremely well-known clubs, Feyenoord Rotterdam and Fenerbahçe, face each other in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday evening, there will also be an exciting and, above all, prominent reunion on the bench. Jose Mourinho and Robin van Persie have a long-standing sporting rivalry in the Premier League. In their current roles, however, their only focus is on taking a big step towards the group stage of Europe’s premier club competition against a strong opponent. For the first leg between Feyenoord Rotterdam and Fenerbahce, the tip on the Dutch side offers lower odds on the three-way market.
This assessment is primarily due to the fact that last year’s Champions League quarter-finalists from the province of South Holland already made a name for themselves in front of their own fans with good results in the previous season. Among others, Bayern Munich, AC Milan and Sparta Prague were defeated at home. In addition, van Persie’s good record as coach must also be highlighted and taken into account in the Feyenoord Rotterdam vs. Fenerbahce prediction. Since taking office at the end of February, the former world-class striker has won eight of 13 competitive games with his beloved club, finishing the Eredivisie season in third place.
Nevertheless, numerous key players left the club in the summer. Almost €100 million was raised for Paixao, Hancko, Milambo, Hartman, and Co., with just under 50% being reinvested in new players. After a rather bumpy preparation, the team was able to boost its confidence with a 4-0 home win in its dress rehearsal against VfL Wolfsburg. In conjunction with their home strength, I am therefore leaning towards a win for the hosts this time around.
Although the visitors from Istanbul, who have also made some high-profile signings in Jhon Duran and Nelson Semedo, will fight with all their might, it would not be the first time that the Canaries have disappointed on the international stage. The fact is that there is often a big gap between expectations and reality at Fener.
Nevertheless, Turkish fans should take heart from the fact that they won their friendly matches against Lazio Rome and Al-Ittihad. Mourinho’s team is always good for goals in attack, but there are always weaknesses to be seen in defense, especially away from home. That’s one of the reasons why I’m looking at the odds for a high-scoring game ahead of the Feyenoord Rotterdam vs. Fenerbahce match.
Feyenoord Rotterdam – Fenerbahçe Head-to-head record / H2H record
These clubs have met five times in the past. With two wins each and one draw, the record is completely even. However, the most recent direct encounter was seven years ago and was a friendly that ended 3-3. It would therefore be presumptuous and unwise to draw any relevant conclusions from this. What is more interesting is that Fenerbahçe played two matches against Dutch clubs in the Europa League last season and failed to win either of them, drawing 1-1 against Twente and losing 3-1 to Alkmaar.
Feyenoord Rotterdam – Fenerbahçe Prediction
Feyenoord Rotterdam and Fenerbahce are aiming to compete against Europe’s best soccer teams in the Champions League starting in September. However, for one of the two clubs, this goal will no longer be achievable after the third qualifying round. There are many indications that home advantage will play a decisive role in both matches. This is also reflected in the Feyenoord Rotterdam vs. Fenerbahçe betting odds, which see van Persie’s team ahead on Tuesday evening. I would also tend to bet on a home win for the Dutch, who won their last preparatory game against a strong Wolfsburg team 4-0.
However, given the undeniable risk, it is also an attractive option to bet on both teams scoring. In six test matches, the “Club an de Maas” scored a total of 19 goals. The Turks have also been in a goal-scoring mood recently. I am therefore deliberately avoiding high odds and recommend betting on both teams scoring.
