Fenerbahçe stumbles in süper lig opener ahead of champions league qualifier against Lyon
Just three days before their critical UEFA Champions League play-off first leg against Lyon, Fenerbahçe suffered an unexpected 1-2 defeat at the hands of Gençlerbirligi in the opening match of the Turkish Championship season.
This outcome will undoubtedly bring a sense of relief to Olympique Lyonnais supporters as their team prepares for the Tuesday (9 PM kick-off) away fixture in Istanbul. Fenerbahçe, under coach Paulo Fonseca, faced Gençlerbirligi in their Süper Lig debut, fielding a significantly altered starting lineup with six changes from their previous match against Sturm Graz, ultimately succumbing to a 1-2 loss.
During the encounter held at the Ankara-based club’s home ground, Fenerbahçe’s coach, Ismail Kartal, opted to rest several key players. Notable names such as N’Golo Kanté, Mason Greenwood, Nélson Semedo, and Kerem Aktürkoglu began the match on the bench, only entering the fray for the final thirty minutes. English left-back Archie Brown was entirely omitted from the squad for rest.
Despite their significant control over the game, boasting 71% possession and a 27-10 shot advantage, the future opponents of Lyon initially took the lead through Brazilian midfielder Anderson Talisca in the 13th minute (1-0). However, Gençlerbirligi mounted a remarkable comeback, with Franco Tongya leveling the score in the 37th minute (1-1), followed by Ogulcan Ülgün securing the winning goal in the 56th minute (2-1). Fenerbahçe’s third-choice goalkeeper, Tarik Cetin, who was deputizing for the injured Mert Günok and suspended Ederson, was beaten on two of the three shots on target faced by the opposition.