By Jose Mourinho faces his former club Manchester United for the first time since his tumultuous Old Trafford tenure as his Fenerbahce side hosts the Red Devils at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium Thursday in a crucial Europa League encounter.
The match marks the teams’ first meeting since November 2016, when Mourinho, then United’s manager, suffered a 2-1 defeat in Turkey. Now leading Fenerbahce, the Portuguese tactician brings an impressive record of eight wins, four draws, and just two losses in fourteen matches across all competitions this season.
United arrive following a morale-boosting 2-1 Premier League victory over Brentford that ended a five-game winless streak. Manager Erik ten Hag, who recently dismissed media speculation about his future, sees his team seeking their first Europa League win after two draws against FC Twente and Porto.
The visitors face significant squad challenges, with several key players sidelined. Leny Yoro, Kobbie Mainoo, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Mason Mount, and Toby Collyer are all unavailable through injury, while captain Bruno Fernandes serves a suspension. Casemiro remains questionable after a late withdrawal against Brentford, though he has traveled with the squad.
Fenerbahce confronts their own injury crisis, missing Cengiz Under, Ismail Yuksek, Bright Osayi-Samuel, and Irfan Can Egribayat. The recent loss of Jayden Oosterwolde to an ACL rupture forces Mourinho to reorganize his defense, potentially deploying former United midfielder Fred in an unconventional left-back role.
United’s European form raises concerns, with the club winless in their last five continental matches, their worst run since 1983. Meanwhile, Fenerbahce boasts a seven-game unbeaten home record in Europa League competition, though Mourinho’s personal record against former clubs shows just two victories in his last seventeen attempts.
The match presents a critical juncture for both sides, with Fenerbahce having collected four points from their opening two group games while United seek to improve on their two-point tally. Given both teams’ defensive inconsistencies and United’s recent tendency for high-scoring away European fixtures, an entertaining contest appears likely.
