Fenerbahce vs Nottingham Forest predictions: Pereira to lose first game in charge of Forest?
Vitor Pereira will take charge of Nottingham Forest for the first time when they travel to Fenerbahce for the first leg of their Europa League play-off round clash.
Pereira has become Forest’s fourth manager of the season following the dismissals of Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche.
A 0-0 draw with Wolves was Dyche’s last game and it left Forest just outside the Premier League’s relegation zone, although they have done better in Europe.
Forest collected 14 points in the Europa League group stage, finishing just two points outside the automatic qualification spot for the round of 16.
To progress to the last 16, Forest now have to face Fenerbahce, who picked up 12 points and finished seven places below Forest in the group stage.
They come into this game after a 3-2 win away at Trabzonspor, which leaves them three points behind Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Lig.
How to watch Fenerbahce vs Nottingham Forest
Fenerbahce vs Nottingham Forest kicks off at 17:45 (UK) on Thursday, February 19 at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium. The game will be shown live on TNT Sports 3 and discovery+, with coverage starting from 17:00.
TalkSPORT 2 will provide full match commentary.
Fenerbahce team news
After signing N’Golo Kante, Matteo Guendouzi and Sidiki Cherif in the January transfer window, Fenerbahce have added the trio to their updated Europa League squad.
Anthony Musaba and Mert Gunok also joined the club in January but have not been included, making them ineligible to play in the competition.
Fenerbache have been without both of their left-backs in recent weeks, with Archie Brown struggling with a toe injury and Levent Mercan out with a muscle tear.
They are both back in training and Mercan was an unused substituite against Trabzonspor at the weekend, but Mert Muldur could continue to fill in at left-back if they aren’t fully fit.
Edson Alvarez, who is on loan from West Ham United, is definitely unavailable for selection after undergoing surgery on an ankle injury.
Fenerbahce expected line-up
(4-3-3) Ederson; Semedo, Skriniar, Oosterwolde, Muldur; Yuksek, Guendouzi, Kante; Asensio, Talisca, Akturkoglu
Nottingham Forest team news
With Matz Selz and John Victor both out injured, Stefan Ortega has been added to Forest’s Europa League squad and will start in goal.
Fellow January signing Lorenzo Lucca has been added to the squad alongside Omari Hutchinson and Jair Cunha, but there was no place for Luca Netz or Taiwo Awoniyi.
Murillo has missed Forest’s last two games with a calf injury, but the centre-back has been training with the squad and is in contention to return against Fenerbache.
Chris Wood was Forest’s top goalscorer last season but has been sidelined since mid-October with a knee issue and is still working his way back to fitness.
Nicolo Savona and Willy Boly are also out with knee injuries, with the latter removed from Forest’s Premier League and Europa League squad lists.
Nottingham Forest expected line-up
(4-2-3-1) Ortega; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Sangare; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus
Fenerbahce vs Nottingham Forest stats
– Fenerbahce have won only five of their 21 games against English opponents (D4 L12). Their most recent clash with an English side saw them lose 1-0 at home to Aston Villa in January.
– They have also lost four of their five two-legged ties against English teams. A 2-1 aggregate win over Manchester City in 1968-69 is the only time they’ve directly knocked out an English side.
– It is the first time English and Turkish clubs have faced each other in a European knockout tie since 2014-15, when Besiktas edged out Liverpool on penalties in the last 32 of the Europa League.
– Fenerbahce have lost the first leg in four of their last six major European knockout ties.
– Only two players have scored more goals in the Europa League than Anderson Talisca and Kerem Akturkoglu, who have both netted four goals.
– Igor Jesus is one of those players, as he has six goals in the Europa League in 2025-26, the joint most by a Nottingham Forest player in a major European season along with Garry Birtles in the 1978-79 European Cup (6 in 9 games).
– Forest have netted 15 goals in eight Europa League matches this season – only in their 1978-79 victorious European Cup campaign have scored more in a major European season (19 in 9 games).
– Forest kept four clean sheets in the Europa League group stage. Lyon, Braga and Viktoria Plzen were the only sides with more.
– Forest have struggled on their travels and have won only five of their 19 away matches in all competitions this season (D5 L9).
Fenerbahce vs Nottingham Forest predictions
A new manager makes Forest a very unpredictable side, but a trip to the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium is a very difficult first game for Pereira.
Fenerbahce have lost just two home games in all competitions this season and should claim a narrow victory here ahead of next week’s second leg.
But Forest have scored in six of their Europa League games, so we’re backing Fenerbache to win and both teams to score at 15/4.
Talisca has been directly involved in 50% of Fenerbahce’s Europa League goals this season, registering four goals and one assist. He’s 7/5 to score or assist against Forest.
While Jesus has just two goals in the Premier League, he’s the second top goalscorer in the Europa League. The striker is 14/5 to score anytime.
