Fenerbahce, in a fairly routine match for them, defeated Belgian Anderlecht, who barely threatened the Turkish team in the first leg of the Europa League playoff. The final result is 3-0. Next up is the duel in Belgium.Looking at the first half, it could be concluded that the home team entered the match in high spirits, as we saw a chance for Fenerbahçe in the 4th minute when Tadic made a good cross towards Edin Dzeko, but the Bosnian was a little late to threaten the guests’ goal. ⚽️ GOAL: Tadic🇪🇺 Fenerbahçe 1-0 Anderlechtpic.twitter.com/53YnqWVNqH— Goals Xtra (@GoalsXtra) February 13, 2025 However, the home fans didn’t have to wait long, and in the 11th minute, Fenerbahce scored the first goal when Dusan Tadic scored with a header after a nice assist from Yusuf Akcicek. After that, it seemed like Jose Mourinho’s team stopped, and Anderlecht took control of possession. In the 25th minute, there was a situation that could be considered controversial when Brazilian Fred played the ball with his hand in his own penalty area, but after consulting with the VAR, the referee decided it wasn’t worth awarding a penalty. In the next attack, Adryelson found himself in a good position inside the penalty area and headed the ball, but Egribayat showed great reflexes and saved the shot.⚽️ GOAL: Dzeko🇪🇺 Fenerbahçe 2-0 Anderlechtpic.twitter.com/jgN3YOD8yS— Goals Xtra (@GoalsXtra) February 13, 2025 During the momentum Belgian team had, Degreef took a shot from about 30 meters, but the ball went over the goal. The punishment for missed opportunities came in the 43rd minute when, after a good run by Filip Kostic, the ball came to Edin Dzeko. He shot, was blocked, but fortunately for him, the ball bounced back to him, and he sent it into the net for 2-0.HT | Fenerbahçe 2-0 Anderlecht pic.twitter.com/67zupaDfeA— Fenerbahçe English (@Fenerbahce_EN) February 13, 2025 It was as if the first half completely paralyzed the visiting team, as they struggled to even reach the home side’s penalty area. The most beautiful moment of the match came in the 57th minute when El Nesyri scored after a brilliant team move. The play started with a long pass from Fred to Szymanski, who delivered a surgically precise cross onto the head of the Moroccan striker for a commanding 3-0 lead.⚽️ GOAL: En Nesyri🇪🇺 Fenerbahçe 3-0 Anderlechtpic.twitter.com/z8F9JDaL9U— Goals Xtra (@GoalsXtra) February 13, 2025 Fenerbahçe didn’t stop there; fueled by their goals, they continued pressing forward. In the 59th minute, Szymanski found himself in a great position, firing twice from close range, but the visiting defenders managed to clear the ball off the goal line both times. Just 20 seconds later, El Nesyri headed the ball again, making the Belgian side nervous once more. However, this time the ball struck the post, sparing the visitors from a complete collapse.Despite the tough situation, they didn’t give up, and in the 68th minute, Valera attempted a shot, but the home goalkeeper was in the right place to make the save.Until the end of the match, there were no serious chances on either side, so the Turkish vice-champions will travel to Anderlecht with a significant advantage on their side.UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE – PLAYOFFSThursdayFenerbahce – Anderlecht 3-0 (2-0)/Tadic 11, Dzeko 42, En-Nesyri 57/Ferencvaros – Viktoria Plzen 1-0 (1-0)/Fani 23/Midjylland – Real Sociedad 1-2 (1-2)/Buksa 38 – Mendez 11 pen, Kubo 31/St. Gilloise – Ajax 0-2 (0-0)/Rasmussen 59, Mokio 71/23:00: (2.50) AZ Alkmaar (3.60) Galatasaray (2.70)23:00: (1.77) PAOK (3.50) FCSB (4.90)23:00: (2.60) Porto (3.30) Roma (2.95)23:00: (2.10) Twente (3.70) Bodo (3.60)***odds are subject to change***
