Europa League: Grasshopper Zurich - Fenerbahce SK 25 August 2016 19:00

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Europa League: Grasshopper Zurich - Fenerbahce SK 25 August 2016 19:00

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Europa League: Grasshopper Zurich - Fenerbahce SK



Fenerbahce were the favourites of the first leg of this Europa League qualifier but the fashion in which they beat their Swiss rivals was really impressive. The Turks totally dominated the game and they rightly carry a comfortable three-goal lead in the tie. Therefore, Zurich must score a number of goals to keep their chances of progressing alive, which is why we might be up for a very open and attractive game. Kicking off at 7 PM (CET), the rematch between Fenerbahce and Grasshopper will be played at the Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich, Switzerland.



Grasshopper Zurich



Grasshopper started their current Europa League campaign in the second qualifying round where they beat the Icelandic side KR Reykjavik (5:4 on aggregate) and they emerged victorious in their next tie against the Cyprian team Apollon Limassol in the same pattern (2:1 home win and 3:3 away draw). But neither Reykjavik, nor Limassol were strong opponents so it was not until the first leg of the final qualifier against the Turkish giants Fenerbahce when Zurich were to be put through their paces for the first time. After several disappointing defeats suffered in the domestic league, Zurich were not in their best form ahead of the match but the one-sided 0:3 loss they ended up with was something they definitely did not count on. It was as early as in the fourth minute when Grasshopper conceded the first goal and they just kept being harmless for the rest of the match. If Zurich do not significantly improve their performance in every department, they are likely to get beaten by the Turks again.



Fenerbahce SK



Fenerbahce began their European campaign in the qualifying stage of the Champions League but they were knocked out by AS Monaco (2:1 home win and 1:3 away loss) in the third round. Consequently, the Istanbul-based team dropped to the final qualifying round of the Europa League where they were pitted against Grasshopper Zurich. Fenerbahce delivered an excellent performance in the first leg, claiming a comfortable 3:0 win. The team´s brightest star, the Dutch forward Robin van Persie, has not been in his best shape but the Nigerian striker Emineke and the Slovakian midfielder Stoch have been successfully making up for the goals expected from van Persie. Nevertheless, just three days after the great showing in the match against Zurich, the Turkish side experienced a disappointing start to the new league season as they suffered a 0:1 defeat at the hands of Istanbul Basaksehir in the Super Lig opener. Let us see if Fenerbahce strive for a victory in the Thursday Europa league rematch against Grasshopper or if they just focus on defending the lead they created in the first leg.



Summary



The Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich will host what might be a very open match with a number of goals as it will feature a clash between Grasshopper Zurich and Fenerbahce Istanbul. The Swiss lost the first game 0:3 so they have a huge deficit to overturn. Fenerbahce are in a better form and they have more quality in their squad so it would be a real shocker if the hosts managed to turn the series. On the other hand, Zurich have almost nothing to lose in the rematch and they can try to stage a surprise. Will Fenerbahce seal their advancement with another win? Or will the home side please their fans with a good result? We will know by Thursday night.
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