Turkish Süper Lig heavyweights Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray and Beşiktaş took the European stage on Thursday, delivering a trio of contrasting outcomes – a win, a draw and a loss – rounding out a mixed bag of results.
The Yellow Canaries brought back pride with their resilience in their UEFA Europa League, overturning an early deficit to triumph 2-1 against Slavia Prague.
The win elevated their points tally to eight, keeping them firmly in contention for the knockout rounds.
Slavia Prague struck early, with striker Tomas Chory capitalizing on defensive lapses to fire the hosts ahead in the seventh minute.
But Jose Mourinho’s men responded with poise.
Edin Dzeko, the Bosnian talisman, leveled the score in the 35th minute, latching onto Sebastian Szymanski’s incisive pass before rifling a powerful shot past the goalkeeper.
This marked Dzeko’s first Europa League goal this season, adding to his tally of 12 across all competitions.
En-Nesyri’s sealer
Substitute Youssef En-Nesyri proved decisive, entering the fray in the 78th minute and delivering the winning goal just seven minutes later.
The Moroccan striker deftly converted Dusan Tadic’s pinpoint pass, slotting the ball home from close range to secure all three points for the visitors.
En-Nesyri’s goal extended his streak to three consecutive Europa League matches with a goal, cementing his role as a key figure in Fenerbahçe’s European campaign.
However, the win did not come at no cost as Brazilian midfielder Fred is set to miss Fenerbahçe’s crucial match against Athletic Bilbao after accumulating yellow cards.
Fred’s latest caution came following a heated exchange involving Dzeko and referee Sascha Stegemann, where Fred’s attempt to mediate saw him penalized for making contact with the official.
Despite the victory, Fenerbahçe’s defensive frailties remain glaring.
They have conceded in all nine European matches this season, tallying 14 goals against while scoring 15. From their Champions League qualifiers against Lugano to their Europa League fixtures, the Istanbul giants are yet to keep a clean sheet.
The triumph over Slavia marked Fenerbahçe’s first away victory in this year’s Europa League.
After draws against Twente and Manchester United and a loss to AZ Alkmaar, the team finally broke their traveling curse, a promising sign as they prepare for the critical Bilbao tie.
Galatasaray’s unbeaten run
Meanwhile, rivals Galatasaray maintained their unbeaten Europa League campaign with a gritty 1-1 draw against AZ Alkmaar.
Victor Osimhen’s equalizer in the 43rd minute ensured the Turkish champions remained top of their group with 11 points from five matches.
The result extended Galatasaray’s unbeaten streak to 15 matches in all competitions.
Since their narrow defeat to Young Boys in the Champions League playoffs, the Lions have been a force to reckon with, winning 12 of their last 15 outings.
Despite the draw, AZ Alkmaar preserved their unbeaten record against Turkish sides, a streak now spanning eight matches.
The Dutch side previously defeated Başakşehir, Fenerbahçe, and Kayserispor and now hold Galatasaray to their list of vanquished foes.
Beşiktaş falter again
In a politically charged match in Hungary, Beşiktaş suffered a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Maccabi Tel Aviv, leaving their Europa League hopes hanging by a thread.
Despite Rafa Silva’s opening goal, the Black Eagles could not recover from defensive errors and Immobile’s missed penalty.
Beşiktaş currently sit in 22nd place with six points, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive.
Gabriel Paulista’s season went from bad to worse as the defender limped off in the 15th minute after a collision, further compounding Beşiktaş’s defensive struggles.
Fenerbahçe host Athletic Bilbao in a do-or-die clash on matchday six, while Galatasaray face Malmo with group leadership on the line.
Beşiktaş must win against Bodo/Glimt opponent to keep their slim qualification hopes alive.