After the 0-0 draw in the first leg, Benfica and Fenerbahce meet again a week later to fight for a place in the upcoming UEFA Champions League. At the Estádio da Luz, there will be no room for calculations, as only a victory would guarantee qualification for either side, while another draw would send the game into extra time. The home side start slightly favored thanks to the home advantage and their strong start to the 2025/26 season, remaining unbeaten so far in both the domestic league and Champions League qualifiers. In Europe, the Portuguese runners-up eliminated Nice in the third round, winning both legs 2-0. Fenerbahce, meanwhile, travel to Portugal knowing they wasted a big chance in the first leg, failing to capitalize on home advantage and playing the last 20 minutes with one extra man due to Florentino’s red card. Mourinho’s men now face the difficult task of winning at the Da Luz, a tough ground where even scoring won’t be easy against a defense that has yet to concede this season. Away from home, the Yellow Canaries have already struggled in these qualifiers, losing 2-1 to Feyenoord before turning it around with a 5-2 home win in the second leg. Despite the odds not being in their favor, Mourinho’s experience could play a key role in motivating his players to end a 17-year wait for Champions League group stage football. For these reasons, the second leg between Benfica and Fenerbahce promises to be one of the most exciting clashes scheduled for Wednesday, August 27.

Benfica's Recent Form and Key Stats

Benfica come into this decisive game on the back of 22 consecutive positive results, the latest being a 3-0 win over Tondela on August 23 in Liga Portugal. Their defensive solidity has been impressive: 0 goals conceded in their first 6 games of the season (5 wins, 1 draw), while scoring 9 goals (1.5 per match).

Estádio da Luz remains a fortress: Benfica are unbeaten in their last 12 home games, collecting 8 wins and 4 draws. Coach Bruno Lage will be without midfielder Florentino, suspended after his red card in the first leg. Up front, Vangelis Pavlidis will lead the attack, supported by Aursnes and Akturkoglu – the latter heavily linked with Fenerbahce in the summer.

Fenerbahce's Recent Form and Key Stats

After losing their first game of the season away at Feyenoord on August 6, Fenerbahce bounced back, remaining unbeaten in their next 4 matches (2 wins, 2 draws) across the Turkish Super Lig and Champions League qualifiers. Mourinho’s side have recorded 2 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss in their first 5 games of the 2025/26 season, averaging 1.8 goals scored and 1 conceded per match.

The Yellow Canaries also have a solid away record, with 15 results (wins or draws) from their last 17 away fixtures. One of the few slip-ups, however, was the 2-1 loss at Feyenoord in the third qualifying round. For this clash, Mourinho can count on Oosterwolde in defense, but both Becao and captain Yandas remain sidelined with injuries.

Benfica vs Fenerbahce Prediction and Tactical Overview

Given the balance and ambitions of both sides, another intense and hard-fought match is expected.

Unlike last week’s clash, Benfica will now have the full support of the Da Luz crowd, where they have only lost three times in 2025 – two of those defeats coming against Barcelona in the 2024/25 Champions League. If Bruno Lage’s defense maintains its current form, a single spark could be enough for the Portuguese side to seal victory and qualification.

Fenerbahce showed some attacking limitations in the first leg, failing to take advantage of their numerical superiority. Mourinho’s men often relied on long-range shots, but they will need more creativity to break down Otamendi and company.

For this reason, the Benfica vs Fenerbahce prediction from BetMines leans towards a home win (1). It’s also worth noting that Benfica have always beaten the Turkish side in previous meetings, including a 3-2 friendly win on July 26.

• BetMines Benfica vs Fenerbahce prediction: Home win (1) with 46% probability
  
  
• BetMines Benfica vs Fenerbahce prediction: Draw (X) with 25% probability
  
  
• BetMines Benfica vs Fenerbahce prediction: Away win (2) with 29% probability

Probable Lineups Benfica vs Fenerbahce

BENFICA (4-3-3): Trubin; Dedic, Silva, Otamendi, Dahl; Rios, Barrenechea, Barreiro; Aursnes, Pavlidis, Akturkoglu. Coach: B. Lage

FENERBAHCE (3-4-1-2): Egribayat; Muldur, Skirniar, Oosterwolde; Semedo, Amrabat, Fred, Brown; Szymanski; Duran, En-Nesyri. Coach: J. Mourinho