Fenerbahçe Looks to Overcome Deficit Against Olympiacos in Conference League Quarterfinal

Turkish club Fenerbahçe faces an uphill battle as they host Greek side Olympiacos in the second leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League quarterfinal matchup on Thursday. Fenerbahçe trails 2-0 on aggregate after losing the first leg in Greece last week.

Fenerbahçe will need a strong performance at their home stadium, Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in Istanbul, to have any chance of advancing to the semifinals. The Turkish team struggled in the first leg, conceding two goals while failing to find the back of the net themselves.

Olympiacos took the lead in the 34th minute of the first leg through Youssef El-Arabi. Mathieu Valbuena doubled the Greek club's advantage in the 63rd minute. Fenerbahçe was unable to mount a comeback and now faces a two-goal deficit heading into the decisive second leg .

To reach the semifinals, Fenerbahçe will need to win by at least two goals to level the aggregate score and force extra time . A victory by three or more goals would see the Turkish side advance outright. However, if Olympiacos scores an away goal, Fenerbahçe would need to win by at least three to have any chance of moving on.

Why this matters: The UEFA Europa Conference League, in its second season, provides an opportunity for clubs from smaller European leagues to compete for a continental trophy. Advancing to the semifinals would be a significant achievement for either Fenerbahçe or Olympiacos.

Fenerbahçe will be counting on their passionate home support to spur them to a comeback victory. The Turkish club has a proud history in European competitions but has not reached the semifinal stage since the 2012-13 season. Overturning the two-goal deficit against an experienced Olympiacos side will require a monumental effort from Fenerbahçe's players. The second leg kicks off at 8:00 PM local time (1:00 PM EST) on Thursday at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in Istanbul.

Key Takeaways

• Fenerbahçe trails Olympiacos 2-0 on aggregate in the UECL quarterfinals.
• Fenerbahçe needs to win by at least 2 goals to force extra time.
• A 3+ goal win would see Fenerbahçe advance outright, but Olympiacos away goal complicates.
• Advancing to the UECL semifinals would be a significant achievement for either club.
• The second leg kicks off at 8:00 PM local time (1:00 PM EST) on Thursday in Istanbul.