Tedesco faces his past with Fener
Domenico Tedesco first made a name for himself in German professional soccer at Erzgebirge Aue, then at FC Schalke 04 and then at RB Leipzig. However, his heart belongs to VfB Stuttgart, where he took his first steps as a coach in the youth department and spent a total of seven years in various roles.
Against this backdrop, Thursday evening will certainly be a special game for the former Belgian national coach, who now works in Turkey. However, there is no room for sentimentality in the Fenerbahce vs. VfB Stuttgart prediction, as both teams are under pressure to secure a direct ticket to the round of 16 at the end of the Europa League group stage.
Both the “Sarı Kanaryalar (the yellow canaries)” and the visitors with the breast ring under their logo have already suffered a defeat after two match days. Fener lost 1-3 to Dinamo Zagreb in their opening game, but achieved a 2-1 victory against Nice in their only home game so far. The Swabians started with a home win against Celta Vigo before suffering a somewhat surprising defeat at FC Basel. In order to put themselves in a strong position and significantly improve their chances of finishing in the top eight or top 24, the outcome of this direct duel is of immense importance.
In my opinion, it would make sense to predict under goals between Fenerbahce and VfB Stuttgart. In addition to the importance already mentioned, this is supported by the fact that in six of the eight FB games played so far under Tedesco, a maximum of three goals and never more than four goals were scored. With four wins, three draws, and only one defeat, the interim record of the Calabria-born head coach is absolutely impressive. However, two goals of their own have been the best Talisca, Asensio, Aktürkoglu and Co. have managed so far. Instead, great importance is placed on defense, which is reflected in only two goals conceded in the last four games.
Under bets are also well justified in the context of coach Sebastian Hoeneß’s team. With only six goals conceded in seven games, VfB has the second-best defense in the Bundesliga. Goalkeeper Nübel has kept a clean sheet four times already. Only in the 1-3 defeat in Freiburg did the reigning cup winners concede more than two goals. In nine of eleven competitive games since the start of the season, the under 3.5 would have paid off! Added to this is the injury crisis in the offense. Among others, top scorer Demirovic is missing. Undav, on the other hand, could make his squad comeback after a long break.
Fenerbahçe – VfB Stuttgart Head-to-head record
The two clubs have never faced each other in a competitive match. In fact, this will be the first time VfB Stuttgart has faced an opponent from Turkey in international competition. Fenerbahçe has far more experience with German clubs. However, out of a total of 13 European Cup encounters, the yellow and navy blues have only won one (1-4-8).
Also interesting: Four of the last six meetings between Süperlig and Bundesliga representatives ended in a draw. For Thursday evening’s match between Fenerbahçe and VfB Stuttgart, the betting odds for a draw after 90 minutes are 3.70 in the Interwetten app.
Fenerbahçe – VfB Stuttgart Tip
In their last twelve European Cup games, VfB Stuttgart have only kept a clean sheet once. It will also be difficult to keep a clean sheet on Thursday, because Fenerbahce is definitely a tough opponent, especially at home, with enough quality and international experience to cause problems for Hoeneß’s team. The Yellow Canaries have only suffered one defeat in eight competitive games under Domenico Tedesco so far. I think it’s rather unlikely that they will suffer a second defeat.
Instead, my approach is to bet on a maximum of three goals in the game. Incidentally, this Fenerbahce vs. VfB Stuttgart tip on under 3.5 does not rule out the possibility that the Swabians will score at least one goal.
