Fenerbahçe beats Anderlecht and approaches the place in the round of 16
Convincing 3-0 win for José Mourinho’s side over Anderlecht in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League play-offs
Win and convince. That’s what Fenerbahçe did on Thursday night, beating Anderlecht by a clear 3-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League play-off .
Playing at home, Fenerbahçe started the match with authority. Controlling, pressing and attacking, José Mourinho’s team were rewarded with an early goal. After 11 minutes, Kostic crossed into the box and found Akcicek. The centre-back deflected the ball, with Tadic heading it in for the first goal of the match.
Even with the lead, the Istanbul team continued to dominate. However, their superiority faded as the minutes went by and Anderlecht gained confidence. The Belgians threatened mainly through set pieces and, in the 27th minute, Egribayat ‘s reflexes were enough to hold on to the advantage after a header from Adryelson .
The scare woke up Fenerbahçe, who took control of the match once again. It was at a stage when the Turks had regained control of possession that the second goal came. Edin Dzeko was blocked on the first attempt, but on the second attempt he fired a shot into the back of the net (42′).
The second half started off competitive, with plenty of duels but little quality. It seemed like the game was going to slow down, but Fenerbahçe had other plans and shook up the match with the third goal. A precise cross from Szymanski for En-Nesyri to head in (with great power) for 3-0 (57′).
Unhappy with the result, David Hubert tried to give Anderlecht some attacking energy by bringing on the team’s top scorer, Kasper Dolberg. Mourinho also made changes and brought on former Benfica player Anderson Talisca .
Despite the changes, the game slowed down, with the Turks always in control. There were some dangerous attempts from both teams – shots from Huerta (68′) and Kostic (78′) – but there were no changes to the score.
A fair win for Fenerbahçe, who now have one foot in the UEFA Europa League round of 16. The second leg is scheduled for the 20th in Brussels.
