Fenerbahçe under pressure for OL’s Champions League decider | OneFootball

Fenerbahçe head to Décines on Wednesday under intense pressure for the Champions League play-off return against OL, according to Le Progres. The strain goes beyond the absences of Asensio and Akturkoglu for the second leg.

OL, by contrast, have returnees in Sulc, Nartey and Bidstrup, plus encouraging signs from Athekame and Bacher. They also opened Ligue 1 with a fine win at Toulouse, and this tie could prove lucrative and end seven years of waiting.

In Istanbul the first leg underlined the weight of expectation, from deafening noise before kick-off to exasperated whistles when OL kept the ball. The demands are clear.

Fenerbahçe have gone 17 years without the Champions League and 11 without a title, the 2015 crown not yielding qualification because of a two-year ban linked to match-fixing. An opening defeat at Genclerbirligi, 1-2, has already cranked up the tension. The eve-of-match meal was briskly wrapped up by club executives, symptomatic of the pressure around the team.

After the draw with OL, supporters and media were particularly harsh, with Ismail Kartal criticised for dropping Talisca into No 10 rather than leaving him up front with Asensio behind. On Tuesday he complained about the first-leg refereeing and the federation’s refusal to move their league game, and he also faced attacks over bringing his son Emre onto the staff, which he denies, citing the Ancelotti family. Without last weekend’s 4-2 win over Konyaspor, his position could have been threatened and a sacking possible.

Source: Le Progres

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