Match preview

Fenerbahce once again ended the previous Turkish Super Lig campaign as runners-up, falling short of arch-rivals Galatasaray in another intense Istanbul title battle. Their season took a dramatic turn after they were eliminated in the Champions League qualifying rounds, a result that ultimately led to Jose Mourinho’s departure. The Portuguese coach later moved to Benfica, the same club that had knocked Fenerbahce out of Europe.

Domenico Tedesco was appointed as Mourinho’s successor and guided the team to another second-place league finish, while also taking them into the Europa League knockout stage before their European journey ended against Nottingham Forest.

However, Tedesco’s stay was short-lived as he left for Bologna, paving the way for Ismail Kartal’s return for his fourth stint in charge. The experienced coach has overseen an ambitious summer rebuild, with Fenerbahce making major moves in the transfer market.

The Istanbul giants have invested heavily in strengthening the squad, bringing in high-profile names such as Vedat Muriqi, Nathan Aké, and Mason Greenwood, who arrived as the club’s most expensive signing in history.

The early signs have been encouraging. Fenerbahce won all three of their preseason friendlies, scoring 11 goals in total. Their latest test ended with a 2-1 victory over Austrian side LASK Linz, highlighting their attacking confidence ahead of the new campaign.

Górnik Zabrze, meanwhile, have had a mixed preseason, recording one win, one draw, and one defeat before suffering a 3-1 loss to Lech Poznań in the Polish Super Cup.

Despite that setback, the club enters this European campaign with renewed confidence after securing their first major trophy in 38 years, with hometown legend Lukas Podolski lifting the cup before moving into the role of club president.

Now fully back into competitive action, Górnik face one of their toughest challenges yet in Champions League qualifying. A two-leg victory over Fenerbahce would set up a third-round encounter with one of Union Saint-Gilloise, Sparta Prague, Sturm Graz, Hearts, or NEC Nijmegen.

Progressing further would put them one step away from the league phase, while elimination would still leave them with a route into the Europa League qualifiers.

Although Górnik were once European regulars — reaching the European Cup quarter-finals in 1968 — their recent continental record has been far quieter, with the club absent from UEFA competitions for eight years.

Their revival last season was impressive, as they pushed Lech Poznań all the way in a closely fought Ekstraklasa title race. Missing out on the league crown was disappointing, but winning a long-awaited trophy and earning a return to European football marked a significant step forward for the Polish side.

Fenerbahce possible starting lineup:

Gunok; Muldur, Skriniar, Oosterwolde, Mercan; Guendouzi, Fred; Kahveci, Asensio, Akturkoglu; Talisca

Gornik Zabrze possible starting lineup:

Schulze; Janicki, Sacek, Josema, Janza; Donio, Sadilek, Urbanski; Ismaheel, Prekop, Khlan

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