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Europa League | Playoffs | 2nd Leg
Aug 26, 2021 at 5pm UK
Bolt Arena

HJK Helsinki
2 - 5
Fenerbahce

Riski (27'), Riski (88')
Hostikka (3'), Peltola (90')
FT(HT: 1-2)
Valencia (11', 14', 52'), Yigit Sanliturk (90+2'), Peltola (90+4' og.)
Guler (75')

Preview: HJK Helsinki vs. Fenerbahce - prediction, team news, lineups

:Headline: Preview: HJK Helsinki vs. Fenerbahce - prediction, team news, lineups:
Sports Mole previews Thursday's Europa League clash between HJK Helsinki and Fenerbahce, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Sports Mole

With only one goal separating the two sides, HJK Helsinki and Fenerbahce renew hostilities in the second leg of their Europa League playoff tie at the Bolt Arena on Thursday night.

The Turkish giants claimed a 1-0 first-leg advantage thanks to substitute Muhammed Gumuskaya's spectacular effort, but the hosts are still harbouring ambitions of a memorable comeback.


Match preview

Despite seeing their Champions League hopes go out of the window at the hands of Scandinavian counterparts Malmo, HJK produced the goods against Neftchi Baku to book a blockbuster clash with Fenerbahce, and they held their own for the majority of the encounter.

However, with 65 minutes of the encounter played, Gumuskaya - who had only been introduced three minutes before - picked up the ball on the left-hand side of the area and rifled in a swerving effort to hand his side a priceless first-leg advantage.

HJK are not waving the white flag with the aggregate score only at 1-0, although that defeat did end a seven-game unbeaten run for the 30-time Finnish champions, who returned to winning ways in league action at the weekend with a 1-0 win over Lahti thanks to a winner from Papua New Guinea attacker David Browne.

Victory over Lahti represented HJK's fourth win and fourth clean sheet in five matches in all competitions, and they have not lost a competitive fixture at home since going down 2-1 to Mariehamn in October 2019 - a staggering run of 31 games without defeat at the Bolt Arena.

A club of Fenerbahce's stature would have undoubtedly hoped to boast a greater first-leg advantage - and it took a moment of magic from Gumuskaya for the Turkish side to even prevail last week - but Vitor Pereira's crop have the lead in the tie and will be under pressure not to throw it away now.

The Turkish giants' rustiness was perhaps understandable given that the first leg was only their second competitive fixture of the new season, but Pereira's men have claimed back-to-back victories over Adana Demirspor and Antalyaspor either side of their win over HJK, with three clean sheets to boot.

However, Fenerbahce were forced to call upon the cavalry at the weekend with their battle against Antalyaspor set to end goalless, but Miha Zajc and Enner Valencia came off the bench to net two quickfire goals in the dying embers of the tie and maintain their side's perfect start to the new season.

After a painful three years without any form of continental football, Fenerbahce's first appearance in the Europa League proper since the 2018-19 season is only 90 minutes away, but Pereira's men can take nothing for granted in a battle between two staunch defences.

HJK Helsinki Europa League form:
  • D
  • W
  • L

HJK Helsinki form (all competitions):
  • D
  • W
  • W
  • W
  • L
  • W

Fenerbahce Europa League form:
  • W

Fenerbahce form (all competitions):
  • W
  • W
  • W

Team News

HJK's medical room welcomed a number of new arrivals during the weekend's fixture with Lahti, as Kevin Kouassivi-Benissan, Anthony Olusanya and Matti Peltola were all forced off with various issues.

However, none of the trio would have been expected to start this encounter, with Toni Koskela ringing the changes in the league in order to keep his big-hitters fresh for the second leg.

Finland's ninth-most capped player Tim Sparv is one of several players that the hosts should reintroduce to the first XI, with Riku Riski and Filip Valencic also expected to operate in the final third.

As for Fenerbahce, Ozan Tufan has recently completed a loan move to Watford, while Irfan Kahveci and Filip Novak have been ruled out of the second leg after picking up hamstring and muscle injuries respectively in the first leg.

The duo join a hefty contingent of injured players including Mert Hakan Yandas, Dimitrios Pelkas and Serdar Dursun, while Kahveci's spot in the team should be filled by former Blackpool and Queens Park Rangers winger Bright Osayi-Samuel.

Mesut Ozil only given a run-out from the bench at the weekend but is sure to find himself back in the team here, while Novak's absence leaves the visitors without a recognised left-back, so Ferdi Kadioglu could be forced to switch flanks.

HJK Helsinki possible starting lineup:
Tannander; Saksela, Moren, O'Shaughnessy, Murillo; Sparv, Jair; Riku Riski, Valencic, Browne; Roope Riski

Fenerbahce possible starting lineup:
Bayindir; Tisserand, Aziz, Szalai; Sangare, Gustavo, Sosa, Kadioglu; Osayi-Samuel, Zajc, Ozil


We say: HJK Helsinki 0-1 Fenerbahce (Fenerbahce win 2-0 on aggregate)

HJK's home record is a sight to behold, and having only come unstuck in the first leg from an unstoppable long-range strike, the Finnish side's supporters can dare to dream.

However, Fenerbahce appear to be finding their groove early in the season and also know a thing or two about keeping clean sheets, so we can see the Turkish side condemning HJK to a rare home defeat by another 1-0 scoreline en route to the group stage.



Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting over 1.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Over 1.5:data



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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
Championship Round
1KuPSKuPS540146242256
2IlvesIlves550056272954
3HJK Helsinki502344271745
4SJKSJK51134644240
5Vaasan PalloseuraVPS52124345-239
6HakaHaka51044043-338
Relegation Round
1Inter Turku531146341241
2Gnistan52124043-337
3Oulu52123240-828
4IFK MariehamnMariehamn52032744-1726
5LahtiLahti51223147-1624
6Ekenas IFEIF51312457-3319
 
Regular Season
1KuPSKuPS22135439221744
2HJK Helsinki22134541212043
3IlvesIlves22116545252039
4SJKSJK2210664033736
5HakaHaka2210573532335
6Vaasan PalloseuraVPS229583436-232
7Inter Turku229493829931
8Gnistan228683234-230
9Oulu2256112636-1021
10IFK MariehamnMariehamn2255122038-1820
11LahtiLahti2231092638-1219
12Ekenas IFEIF2234151951-3213
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