Turkish giants, Fenerbahçe secured their spot within the UEFA Champions League third qualifying spherical by defeating Lugano 2-1 within the second leg of their tie.
Following a 4-3 victory within the first leg, the Yellow Canaries accomplished the job with a decisive win at house.
In the match held at Ülker Stadium, Lugano took the lead within the seventh minute with a objective from Hadj Mahmoud.
Despite dominating early on, Lugano did not capitalize on two further scoring probabilities.
Fenerbahçe’s Fred injured himself within the twenty sixth minute and, regardless of receiving on-field therapy, was unable to proceed, resulting in his substitution by İsmail Yüksek within the thirty first minute.
Fenerbahçe’s first actual probability got here within the forty first minute, however Ferdi Kadıoğlu’s effort went unanswered, leaving the primary half with Lugano main 1-0.
The hosts began the second half with larger urgency and improved their attacking play.
They created a number of set-piece alternatives and equalized within the 59th minute with a header from Edin Dzeko off a well-placed cross by Mert Hakan Yandaş.
Jose Mourinho’s facet continued to press and practically took the lead within the 72nd minute when Çağlar Söyüncü’s shot hit the put up.
In the dying minutes of the match, Sebastian Szymanski scored, giving Fenerbahçe a 2-1 victory.
Edin Dzeko continued his spectacular goal-scoring kind this season.
After a hat trick within the first leg, the Bosnian star striker scored the essential equalizer within the second leg, bringing his tally to 4 objectives over the 2 matches.
Mourinho’s halftime tactical change in substituting Rade Krunic with Mert Hakan Yandaş proved efficient because it introduced extra fluidity on the pitch.
“The match was challenging. We conceded a goal early, and the situation was 4-4. After equalizing, we took control of the game. The contributions from the substitutes were valuable. The atmosphere was fantastic, and the fans supported us throughout,” the Special One mentioned.
“Winning each match is less important to me than progressing through the rounds. Today’s win is due to the efforts of my players and our fans. I congratulate the opposing team, they have a good coach and are well-organized. I wish them the best in the Europa League,” he added.
Looking forward, Mourinho mentioned, “Football isn’t rocket science. Each player has unique attributes. En-Nesyri has not yet trained with the team. Fred’s situation is uncertain, and he might not be available for the next round. We will begin our preparation for the Lille match tomorrow. I have not analyzed Lille extensively yet, but we will start working on it after lunch. I understand the challenges Turkish teams face in Europe, and the same will apply to Lille.”
Mourinho praised goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, stating, “Livakovic played a key role in preventing the score from reaching 2-0. He was crucial today. The team did not perform well in the first half, but improved in the second half. I can’t evaluate Krunic’s performance individually because we were not good in the first half. We needed to make a change at halftime. In the second half, we performed better with İsmail, Mert, and Szymanski in midfield.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com