A dramatic second-half surge saw Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce overturn a two-goal aggregate deficit to beat Feyenoord 5-2 on Tuesday, advancing to the UEFA Champions League playoff round with a 6-4 aggregate victory.
Trailing 2-1 from the first leg in the Netherlands, the Turkish side’s task in the third qualifying round became monumental when Feyenoord defender Tsuyoshi Watanabe opened the scoring in the 41st minute at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium. The goal gave the Dutch club, coached by former Manchester United and Arsenal striker Robin van Persie, a commanding 3-1 lead on aggregate.
However, Fenerbahce staged a swift and decisive rally just before halftime. The comeback was ignited by two quick goals, including a crucial strike from Colombian forward Jhon Durán, who is on a season-long loan from Saudi club Al Nassr. The flurry of goals brought the hosts back into the tie and shifted the momentum entirely going into the break.
The Istanbul club dominated proceedings after halftime, adding three more unanswered goals to complete the remarkable turnaround and seal their passage to the final qualifying stage.
Fenerbahce will now face Portuguese giants Benfica in a two-legged playoff for a coveted place in the lucrative 36-team Champions League league phase. The first leg will be held in Istanbul next week. Benfica secured their spot by eliminating French club Nice in their qualifier.
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