Turkish Giants Shine with 3-0 Victory as Ajax, Ferencvaros, and Real Sociedad Also Secure Crucial Wins
Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce delivered a commanding performance on Thursday night, securing a 3-0 victory over Anderlecht in the UEFA Europa League and putting themselves in a strong position to advance to the last 16. The Turkish side, playing at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, showcased their attacking prowess with goals from Dusan Tadic, Edin Dzeko, and Youssef En-Nesyri, leaving their Belgian opponents with little room to respond.
The match began brightly for Fenerbahce, with Tadic opening the scoring in the 11th minute. The former Southampton midfielder rose to meet a pinpoint cross from Filip Kostic, nodding the ball past the Anderlecht goalkeeper. Just before halftime, Dzeko doubled the lead, calmly slotting home a rebound after his initial shot was blocked. En-Nesyri sealed the win in the 57th minute, powering a header into the net from Sebastian Szymanski’s cross, leaving Anderlecht’s Colin Coosemans with no chance.
Mourinho’s men now look ahead to a potential clash with Olympiacos or Rangers in the next round, as they continue their quest for European glory.
Elsewhere in the competition, Ajax overcame a tough challenge at Union Saint-Gilloise, securing a 2-0 victory in Belgium. Goals from Christian Rasmussen and 16-year-old Jorthy Mokio gave the injury-hit Dutch side a crucial advantage heading into the second leg.
Robbie Keane’s Ferencvaros also enjoyed success, defeating Viktoria Plzen 1-0 thanks to a first-half strike from Mohammad Abu Fani. Meanwhile, Real Sociedad battled to a 2-1 win over Midtylland, with Brais Mendez’s early penalty and a stunning goal from Takefusa Kubo proving decisive, despite a late response from the Danish side.
In Portugal, Porto and Roma played out a 1-1 draw at the Estadio do Dragao. Zeki Celik gave Roma the lead in first-half stoppage time, but Francisco Moura’s deflected effort leveled the score in the second half. The match took a dramatic turn when Roma’s Bryan Cristante was sent off after receiving a second yellow card, leaving the Italian side to finish the game with ten men.
AZ Alkmaar produced one of the standout performances of the night, thrashing Galatasaray 4-1 at the AFAS Stadion. Former Tottenham striker Troy Parrott was among the scorers, converting a penalty after Seiya Maikuma was fouled in the box. Jordy Clasie and David Moller Wolfe added to the tally, capping off a dominant display that left Galatasaray reeling, especially after Kaan Ayhan’s red card reduced them to ten men.
In Greece, PAOK suffered a 2-1 defeat to FCSB despite taking an early lead through Mbwana Samatta. The home side’s hopes were dashed when Taison was sent off, and FCSB capitalized with goals from Andrei Gheorghita and Joyskim Dawa to complete the comeback.
The night’s drama wasn’t limited to the big names, as FC Twente snatched a late 2-1 victory over Bodo/Glimt. Sayfallah Ltaief’s early goal was canceled out by Patrick Berg’s 85th-minute equalizer, but Ricky van Wolfswinkel stepped up in stoppage time to convert a penalty and give the Dutch side a narrow advantage heading into the second leg.
As the Europa League action heats up, teams across the continent are fighting tooth and nail for a place in the last 16. For Mourinho and Fenerbahce, the dream of European success remains alive and well after a near-perfect night in Istanbul.
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