At 1:00 AM on July 31, the second leg of the second round of the 2024/25 Champions League qualifiers will see Fenerbahçe return home to face Swiss powerhouse Lugano. In the first leg, Fenerbahçe narrowly won 4-3 away, and Mourinho’s team got off to a good start in their Champions League qualifying campaign. This gives them an advantage going into the second leg.
In the first leg, both teams were almost evenly matched, with Lugano, playing at home, having a slight upper hand. The shot ratio was 12:10 in favor of Lugano, while the shots on target were 4:6 in favor of Fenerbahçe, showcasing their impressive offensive efficiency and quality. After just four minutes, Lugano’s Wafi scored the opening goal. Fenerbahçe then stabilized and Dzeko scored twice in quick succession. Later, Bislimi of Lugano brought the teams back to level terms. Once again, it was Dzeko who stepped up, completing his hat-trick to put Fenerbahçe back in the lead. Midway through the second half, Kadıoğlu added another goal for his team. However, in stoppage time, Fenerbahçe’s defense lost focus, allowing Balensuela to pull one back for Lugano, keeping their qualification hopes alive.
After the game, Mourinho complained about the “artificial turf” at the Swiss team’s home ground, which prevented his team from performing at their best and affected their ground-based play. Regardless, the result of the first leg lifted a significant psychological burden from Mourinho, who was new to the team. He also mentioned that several key players had not yet returned, meaning that Fenerbahçe had not fielded their strongest lineup.
With the new Turkish Super League season not yet started, Fenerbahçe can fully concentrate on their two-leg Champions League tie against Lugano. For Lugano, the new Swiss Super League season began last month, and they have secured two consecutive wins against strong opponents Grasshoppers and Basel. From a team form perspective, Lugano appears to be in better shape than Fenerbahçe. However, when it comes to overall strength, Fenerbahçe is clearly a tier above Lugano. Currently, Fenerbahçe’s squad has a market value of €249 million, while Lugano’s is valued at just €35 million.
For the new season, Fenerbahçe has set ambitious goals. Their first step was to hire one of the world’s top coaches, José Mourinho. Additionally, they have been active in the transfer market. They beat Roma to sign Moroccan international En-Nesyri from Sevilla. Previously, the Turkish club successfully recruited Soyuncu and Krunić, and loaned Saint-Maximin from Al Ittihad Jeddah. Fenerbahçe’s squad strength has visibly increased. This match could very well be En-Nesyri’s debut for his new club, and the forward’s abilities are likely to pose a significant headache for Lugano. The Moroccan possesses remarkable aerial prowess and is no less effective in front of goal compared to top-tier forwards.
Compared to their wealthy opponents, Lugano operates on a much smaller budget. Their only major signing was the €2.5 million acquisition of young talent Sarno from Inter Milan. Polish striker Puzbięszy has scored two goals in two league games, showing good form, and is expected to replace Aliseda, who started in the previous round.
The previous encounter was the first meeting between these two teams in history. Following this matchup, both sides now have a better understanding of each other. In the second leg, both managers will likely make more targeted tactical adjustments. However, Mourinho clearly has more options available to him.
Fenerbahçe last appeared in the Champions League group stage during the 2008/09 season, nearly 16 years ago. If they overcome Lugano, their next opponent in the qualifying rounds will be Lille, which will be an extremely difficult challenge. Lugano, on the other hand, has never competed in the Champions League proper. Will they create history this time around?
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