Match preview: Rize hosts a heavyweight test
Rizespor welcome Fenerbahçe to the Çaykur Didi Stadyumu on 23 November in a clash that looks, on paper, tilted heavily toward the visitors. The Black Sea side sits 10th in the Super Lig with a modest return of 14 points from 12 games, a team that has been hard to beat but equally hard to pin down with five draws in the league campaign so far. At home Rizespor have shown resilience — four clean sheets suggest a side that can keep games tight — but their scoring split (4 goals at home, 10 away) hints at inconsistencies in front of goal when the crowd is watching.
Fenerbahçe arrive in Rize in rampant form. Second in the table with 28 points and an unbeaten record in the league, they bring a swagger born of seven wins and just one loss in their last ten outings across competitions. Their recent domestic victory, a 4-2 win over Kayserispor, underlined attacking potency and creative sharpness, led by a standout display from Kerem Aktürkoğlu, who produced a best-player rating of 8.55 in that fixture. Fenerbahçe’s numbers are stark: 25 goals scored and only 10 conceded in 12 matches, a balance that marks them out as the clear favourites.
Tactical edge and form
This is a classic contest of sturdy home organisation versus free-scoring visitors. Rizespor’s tendency to draw — five league stalemates — indicates a team that frustrates opponents but struggles to convert dominance into full points. Fenerbahçe’s attacking averages (112.33 attacks per game, 52.75 dangerous attacks) suggest they will test the Rize backline repeatedly. Head-to-head history adds weight to the away side: the season’s earlier meeting ended 3-2 in favour of Fenerbahçe, a game that saw them come through in a high-intensity encounter.
Odds reflect the storyline: bookmakers quote roughly 1.52 for an away win, 4.20 for a draw and 6.20 for a home surprise, implying a near-66% probability for a Fenerbahçe victory. For readers interested in the timing and structure of goal markets, consider the excellent primer on The right time to place bets on goal markets, and if you’re weighing market types beyond the simple match-winner, a useful overview is available at The differences between the European and the Asian handicap.
Betting suggestion: Back Fenerbahçe to win (1X2) — the away side’s unbeaten domestic record, superior attack metrics and recent form make them the clearest value here. For cautious bettors, a small stake on Fenerbahçe to win covers the most likely outcome while respecting Rizespor’s ability to make matches tight.