The Vítor Pereira era at Nottingham Forest starts today with a crucial match in Istanbul against Fenerbahçe during the first leg of their Europa League play-off at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium.
Pereira is the fourth permanent manager at the City Ground this season, setting a new Premier League record following his appointment on Sunday. He takes over from Sean Dyche, who was fired last week despite a successful European run where Forest scored 15 goals in eight matches, their highest total since the 1978–79 season.
The Reds finished 13th in the league but missed automatic qualification by just two points. In contrast, Fenerbahçe arrives in strong form under Domenico Tedesco, winning four consecutive domestic games. The “Yellow Canaries,” who ended up 19th in the league phase, will rely on the support of their home crowd, having never lost two consecutive home matches in European play.
Fenerbahçe vs Nottingham Forest – Match Preview and Team News
- Date: Thursday, 19 February 2026
- Kick-off: 17:45 GMT
- Venue: Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Istanbul
- Referee: Sandro Schärer (SUI)
- VAR: Lukas Fähndrich (SUI)
- Last Meeting: First competitive meeting
Team News
Fenerbahçe
The hosts strengthened their squad with January signings N’Golo Kanté and Matteo Guendouzi, both expected to start in a 4-2-3-1 formation. The team has accumulated a competition-high 33 yellow cards in eight matches. Key players Anderson Talisca and Kerem Aktürkoğlu will be their main attacking threats, although Fenerbahçe has won only one of their last nine encounters against English teams. Archie Brown, Abdou Fall, and Emre Mor are unavailable due to injury.
Nottingham Forest
Pereira is managing a lengthy injury list, including Chris Wood (knee), Willy Boly (knee), and goalkeeper Matz Sels (groin). Murillo will undergo a late fitness test, while Elliot Anderson is set to start despite disciplinary issues. Striker Igor Jesus leads the attack and has matched a club record with six Europa League goals. One more goal will set a new individual record for Forest in a major European season. New signing Lorenzo Lucca may also debut from the bench.
Form
Fenerbahçe
The “Yellow Canaries” have regained momentum with a four-match winning streak in domestic competition. They aim to break an “English hoodoo,” having secured only one victory in their last nine attempts against Premier League teams. Despite issues with discipline, the new midfield featuring Kanté and Guendouzi is focused on controlling the midfield and bolstering a defense that has allowed an average of 1.4 goals per game.
Nottingham Forest
The Reds come to Istanbul after two consecutive domestic victories, yet they have only three wins in their last 13 matches overall. Pereira has a record of winning his opening match in his previous seven managerial roles. Forest’s attacking strength has been a positive, consistently outperforming their expected goals (xG) away from home this season. Strengthening the defense without Boly and Sels will be the main focus for the new manager tonight.
Predicted Lineups
Fenerbahçe Predicted XI: Ederson; Semedo, Skriniar, Oosterwolde, Muldur; Kante, Guendouzi; Nene, Asensio, Akturkoglu; Talisca
Nottingham Forest Predicted XI: Gunn; Aina, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams; Anderson, Sangare; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus
How to Watch Fenerbahçe vs Nottingham Forest?
The match will be broadcast live in the UK on TNT Sports 3, starting at 17:00 GMT. Subscribers can also stream the event via discovery+.
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