Fenerbahçe secured their place in the Europa League last 16 despite a late scare from Anderlecht, holding on for a 2-2 draw in the second leg of their play-off tie to progress 5-2 on aggregate.
Anderlecht, trailing 3-0 from the first leg, started the match brightly and gave themselves hope with two goals from Luis Vázquez. However, Fenerbahçe weathered the storm and sealed their place in the next round with a goal from Yusuf Akçiçek.
Fenerbahçe took the lead in the fourth minute when Youssef En-Nesyri capitalized on a defensive error to score his 18th goal in his last 14 games. However, the match was then interrupted due to crowd trouble, with both teams leaving the pitch for a period.
After the restart, Anderlecht fought back with two goals from Vázquez. He first capitalized on a mistake from Milan Škriniar to level the score, before adding a second with a clinical finish after good work from Thorgan Hazard.
Despite Anderlecht’s comeback, Fenerbahçe regained control and sealed the victory with a goal from Akçiçek. The young defender headed home from Škriniar’s cross to secure a 5-2 aggregate win for the Turkish side.
Fenerbahçe’s progression to the last 16 keeps manager José Mourinho’s hopes of another European trophy alive. He has already won six European trophies, including two Europa League titles, and will be aiming to add another to his collection this season.
Fenerbahçe fans will also be dreaming of European glory. The club has never won a major European trophy, but their impressive performance in the play-off round suggests that they are capable of challenging for the Europa League title this season.
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