Fenerbahce of Turkey triumphed over Belgian team Anderlecht with a 3-0 victory in the first leg of their Europa League knockout round playoff on Thursday.
Ajax Amsterdam and Real Sociedad also emerged victorious in their respective matches. Under the guidance of Jose Mourinho, Fenerbahce gained an early advantage when forward Dusan Tadic scored with a header from close range following a corner. The home side faced a tense moment as the referee reviewed a potential handball penalty via VAR, but it was ultimately not awarded. Edin Dzeko then extended their lead before halftime; after his initial attempt was blocked by Anderlecht’s defence, the Bosnian striker capitalised on the rebound, delivering a precise low shot into the net’s corner. Following the interval, Moroccan forward Youssef En-Nesyri clinched the victory with an impressive header. Maintaining an undefeated streak across all competitions since mid-December, Fenerbahce secured the final playoff berth by finishing 24th in the league phase, advancing on goal difference.
Anderlecht, having suffered back-to-back losses in the competition against Hoffenheim and Viktoria Plzen, found themselves positioned 10th.
Sociedad, who progressed to the Champions League last 16 in the previous season, clinched a 2-1 victory over Danish team Midtjylland. Midfielder Brais Mendez gave the LaLiga team an early lead via a penalty, followed by Japan’s forward Takefusa Kubo doubling their advantage with a spectacular shot from beyond the box into the top corner. The Danish side, resuming domestic games this weekend after a lengthy winter hiatus of over two months, managed to pull one back before half-time thanks to Poland’s Adam Buksa scoring from close quarters. The victors will compete against either Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspur in the last 16.
Ajax achieved a 2-0 triumph over Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise, with goals in the second half from forward Christian Rasmussen and defender Jorthy Mokio. The Dutch team had previously endured three consecutive defeats in the tournament but bounced back with a home win against Galatasaray in their final league encounter.
Ferencvaros, the record holders with 35 Hungarian championships and winners of the past six domestic leagues, edged out Czech visitors Viktoria Plzen 1-0 to edge closer to securing a spot in the last 16.
