Preview: Fenerbahce vs Sturm Graz - prediction, team news, lineups

Fenerbahce will continue their quest to make a long-awaited return to the Champions League main stage when they welcome Sturm Graz to Sukru Saracoglu Stadium for the first leg of their third qualifying round tie on Wednesday.

The Turkish hosts edged past Polish outfit Gornik Zabrze 2-1 on aggregate in the previous round, while the Austrian visitors eased past Scottish side Hearts 6-0 across both legs to reach this stage.

Match preview

Fenerbahce are no strangers to European competition, but it has now been 18 years since the Istanbul giants last featured in the Champions League proper, one of the few achievements that has continued to elude a club also enduring a lengthy wait for another Turkish top-flight crown.

Not since lifting the Super Lig title in 2013-14 have the Yellow Canaries finished top of the domestic standings, with last season extending that frustration as they ended runners-up for a fifth consecutive campaign, four of those behind fierce rivals Galatasaray.

That finish earned Fenerbahce another shot at Europe's elite, and Ismail Kartal's men negotiated the previous qualifying round by edging Gornik Zabrze 1-0 at home before settling for a 1-1 draw in Poland, giving the returning manager a winning start to his latest spell in charge.

Tasked with succeeding where his two immediate predecessors fell short, Kartal, who replaced Domenico Tedesco in June, will hope to restore domestic supremacy while guiding the club back to the Champions League, with Fener having exited at the qualifying play-off round under Mourinho the previous summer.

The Yellow Canaries can also take encouragement from their recent record at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, where they have won five of their last eight competitive fixtures (D3), making home advantage another valuable asset heading into Wednesday.

However, Fenerbahce will also remember that their most recent defeat on this ground came in Europe, suffering a 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in the Europa League knockout round play-offs, and avoiding another setback on the continental stage will be a priority.

Sturm Graz, meanwhile, fell short of progressing beyond the Europa League league phase last season, though unlike their opponents, they featured in the Champions League proper as recently as the 2024-25 campaign.

The Blackies have made an impressive start to this year's qualification campaign, brushing Hearts aside with a 4-0 first-leg victory before completing the job with a 2-0 success in Edinburgh to comfortably book their place in the third qualifying round.

Sturm Graz’s momentum slowed slightly at the weekend after being held to a 1-1 draw by WSG Swarovski Tirol in the Austrian Bundesliga opener, but Fabio Ingolitsch's side remain unbeaten across four competitive outings this season, recording three victories and one draw.

The Austrian outfit will also draw confidence from previous meetings with Fenerbahce, having earned a 1-1 draw on their last visit to Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, although they eventually exited that Europa League qualifying tie 3-2 on aggregate.

Fenerbahce Champions League form:

Sturm Graz Champions League form:

Sturm Graz form (all competitions):

Team News

Fenerbahce will assess the fitness of Talisca and Nelson Semedo after both players picked up knocks in last week's draw with Gornik, while Vedat Muriqi remains a doubt as he continues his recovery from the muscle injury sustained during training in mid-July.

Summer arrival Mason Greenwood is pushing for his first start after making substitute appearances in both legs against Gornik, while N'Golo Kante is back in contention after returning to full training following his extended World Cup break.

Sturm Graz remain without Amady Camara because of a thigh injury, while Luca Weinhandl joins Otar Kiteishvili and Nelson Weiper on the sidelines after all three missed last weekend's league opener.

Szymon Wlodarczyk strengthened his claims for a starting berth after finding the net against Tirol, while Jeyland Mitchell is expected to return to central defence following a weekend rest.

Fenerbahce possible starting lineup:

Gunok; Semedo, Skriniar, Ake, Oosterwolde; Guendouzi, Fred; Kahveci, Asensio, Akturkoglu; Talisca

Sturm Graz possible starting lineup:

Khudyakov; Heil, Vallci, Mitchell, Soglo; Seidl, Weinhandl, Stanković, Hödl; Włodarczyk, Jatta

We say: Fenerbahce 2-1 Sturm Graz

Fenerbahce may not have progressed as convincingly as Sturm Graz in the previous round, but they made home advantage count when it mattered and should once again benefit from the atmosphere in Istanbul.

The Austrian visitors have shown enough quality to keep the tie competitive, though the hosts possess greater experience at this level and should take a narrow advantage into next week's return leg.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.