Fenerbahce have a far stronger squad than Sturm Graz and proved it last week. Talisca has been on fire under new manager Ismail Kartal, the Brazilian to continue his scoring spree.
HTH
These clubs met for the first time in the 2017/18 Europa League qualifiers, Fenerbahce winning 2-1 in Austria before a 1-1 draw in Turkey. Fenerbahce won 2-0 in the first leg last week.
Sturm Graz Second Best in Turkey
Sturm Graz had a strong start to the season, thrashing Hearts 6-0 on aggregate in the Champions League qualifiers. They won 3-0 at Seekirchen to advance in the Austrian Cup.
Fabio Ingolitsch saw his side get outclassed at Fenerbahce in the third round last week. They ended the clash in Turkey with just 28% possession and 0.16-1.38 xG.
Graz are unbeaten in the Austrian Bundesliga, a 1-1 draw at Tirol followed by a 2-0 win at Hartberg. Nelson Weiper scored both goals off the bench to come into contention for a starting spot.
Talisca on Fire for Fenerbahce
Fenerbahce have finished fifth in the last five Super Lig seasons. They lost just twice in the previous campaign but 11 draws ended up being their downfall.
Domenico Tedesco was sacked in April with Zeki Murat Gole taking charge until the end of the season. Ismail Kartal returned to the club for his third spell in charge.
Kartal’s side got past Gornik Zabrze in the Champions League qualifiers. They had 79% possession and 1.61-0.06 xG in a 1-0 home win before a 1-1 draw in Poland, Talisca scoring first in both legs.
Talisca continued the trend as Fenerbahce beat Sturm Graz 2-0 in the third round last week. Mason Greenwood opened his account for his new club to extend the lead.