In the first leg of the UEFA Europa League play-off round, Fenerbahçe suffered a shocking 3-0 home defeat against English side Nottingham Forest. The match, played at the iconic Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, saw the visitors deliver a dominant performance, leaving the Turkish club with a mountain to climb in the return leg.
CEM MIRZANLI/GAZETEM
Foto:Fenerbahce X
Nottingham Forest started the match with intensity, pressing high and exploiting defensive gaps. Their pressure paid off in the 21st minute when Murillo found the net to give the visitors an early lead.
Fenerbahçe struggled to respond, and Forest continued to create dangerous opportunities. Just before halftime, Igor Jesus doubled the lead in the 43rd minute, sending the English side into the break with a comfortable 2-0 advantage.
Second-half setback ends Fenerbahçe hopes
Any hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished after the restart. In the 50th minute, Morgan Gibbs-White scored Forest’s third goal, effectively sealing the result.
Despite having more possession in the later stages, Fenerbahçe failed to create clear scoring chances. Nottingham Forest remained organized defensively and managed the game professionally until the final whistle.
Qualification hopes hang by a thread
With this result, Nottingham Forest gained a major advantage ahead of the second leg in England. Fenerbahçe will need to win by at least three goals to force extra time, while a four-goal victory would secure direct qualification.