Champions League qualifier: Fenerbahce vs Arsenal

Arsene Wenger’s side travels to Istanbul to face Fenerbahce for the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Qualifier 2013/14. After the home defeat against Aston Villa at the weekend, with some knocks & bruises, Wenger has few options when choosing his starting XI.

The Arsenal squad warn up before a training session ahead of their UEFA Champions League Play Off first leg match against Fenerbache at London Colney on August 20, 2013 in St Albans, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Apart from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, the squad from the Villa game is set to remain. The 1997/98 season was the last time Arsenal didn’t feature in UEFA Champions League, but to secure a 16th consecutive campaign, they must get past the Turkish side.

Fenerbahce have Premier League old boys in the squad such as Dirk Kuyt, Raul Meireles, Joseph Yobo, and Emre Belozoglu. New manager Ersun Yanal is expected to field a 4-3-3 formation, with Kuyt, Moussa Sow & Nigerian Emanuel Emenike playing upfront.

The man to watch out for is Senegalese forward Moussa Sow. He joined Fenerbahce from LOSC Lille in January 2012. Since then, he has scored 22 league goals in 43 matches for the Turkish side & was the leading goal scorer for Fenerbahce in the 2012/13 domestic campaign.

Match background:

• Arsenal have a 100% record in UEFA Champions League qualifiers.
• Arsenal have never played in the Europa League after its re-branding. They last featured in the old UEFA Cup in the final in 1999/2000, which they lost 4-1 on penalties to Galatasaray.
• In 7 home games in last season’s UEFA Europa League, Fenerbahce have won four times and lost just once.
• The Turkish side have won thrice, drawn once and lost thrice against English clubs at home.
• Fenerbahce’s only two-legged win against an English team was a 2-1 aggregate success against Manchester City in the 1968/69 European Champion Clubs’ Cup first round.

Team Facts:

• Current Fenerbahce player Pierre Webó and current Arsenal player Nacho Monreal both played together at Spanish side Osasuna in the 2006-07 season.
• Bruno Alves featured in the Porto team Arsenal defeated in the last 16 in 2009/10.
• Dirk Kuyt scored in Liverpool‘s 1-1 draw at Arsenal en route to a 5-3 aggregate triumph in the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals – one of four goals in 15 appearances against the Gunners.
• Joseph Yobo lost 10 of his 13 matches against Arsenal while at Everton, including a 7-0 away defeat in 2005 and a 6-1 home loss in 2009.
• Emre Belözo?lu made his Premier League debut in a 2-0 loss at Arsenal.

Previous Encounters:

UEFA Champions League group stage 2008/09

Fenerbahce 2-5 Arsenal

Arsenal 0-0 Fenerbahce

European Cup Winners’ Cup first round 1979/80

Arsenal 2-0 Fenerbahce

Fenerbahce 0-0 Arsenal

Match Appointments:

• Referee: Gianluca Rocchi (ITA)
• Assistant referees: Elenito Di Liberatore & Gianluca Cariolato (ITA)
• Fourth official: Alessandro Giallatini (ITA)
• Additional assistant referees: Mauro Bergonzi &Andrea Gervasoni (ITA)