José Mourinho’s team, Fenerbahce, has advanced to the Europa League knockout playoff round, edging closer to the round of 16.
On Thursday, Fenerbahce showcased an impressive performance with a 3-0 victory over Anderlecht, securing a significant advantage to take into the second leg in Belgium next week.
In another intriguing matchup, two of Mourinho’s previous clubs, Porto and Roma, ended their clash in a 1-1 stalemate within the same competition.
Fenerbahce’s qualification was narrowly achieved, placing them 24th in the new 36-team standings — the very last qualifying position — determined solely by a goal difference tiebreaker. Meanwhile, Anderlecht finished in 10th, falling short of automatic advancement to the last 16 due to the same factor.
The Turkish side took an early lead in the 11th minute when a failure to clear a corner by Anderlecht allowed Yusuf Akçiçek to flick the ball towards Dusan Tadic, who subsequently headed it into the net.
Edin Dzeko extended the lead just before halftime, following a deft assist from Filip Kostic along the left wing. Dzeko’s initial attempt was blocked by Lucas Hey of Anderlecht, but the experienced striker capitalized on the rebound to score.
The third goal was added by Youssef En-Nesyri, who powered in a header in the 57th minute, although Fenerbahce squandered multiple opportunities to further increase their lead. Notably, Akçiçek’s header hit the post; it would have marked his first career goal after achieving his first assist earlier in the match.
In another matchup, Dutch side AZ Alkmaar also secured a comfortable position for the return leg, claiming a 4-1 victory against Galatasaray, who played with ten men for part of the match.
In Rom, Paulo Dybala faced a setback after limping off in the first half due to a knee injury incurred from a challenge by Porto’s Alan Varela in the 20th minute. Despite his pain, Dybala played on for an additional 15 minutes before conceding defeat to the injury.
Roma managed to take the lead just before halftime, with defender Zeki Celik scoring his first goal for the team. However, Porto equalized against the odds in the 67th minute via a deflected shot from Francisco Moura.
Things took a turn for Roma when Bryan Cristante received a second yellow card five minutes later, leaving his team down to ten players.
In a notable performance, Ajax triumphed 2-0 against Union Saint-Gilloise, with 16-year-old Jorthy Mokio scoring their second goal in the 71st minute. After a corner was cleared, Mokio found the ball at the edge of the area and volleyed it in, marking his first goal for the senior team.
At just 16 years and 350 days old, Mokio became the youngest player to score in a knockout stage match, according to UEFA records. Christian Rasmussen had opened the scoring for Ajax earlier in the 59th minute.
Furthermore, clubs such as Real Sociedad, Ferencvaros, FCSB, and Twente also celebrated victories in their respective matches on this eventful night.
In another exciting development, 16-year-old Michael Noonan made headlines by scoring on his Shamrock Rovers debut, contributing to a 1-0 victory over a ten-man Molde.
Noonan’s goal, netted in the 57th minute, positioned him as the youngest-ever goalscorer in a European club competition as confirmed by his team.
Additionally, Víkingur Reykjavík claimed a historic win as the first Icelandic club to secure a European knockout match victory by defeating Panathinaikos 2-1, with the match taking place in Helsinki due to stadium regulations.
Armandas Ku?ys made a significant impact, scoring twice for Celje, although he missed a late penalty in their match against ten-man APOEL, which ended in a 2-2 draw. Other clubs like Real Betis and Jagiellonia also enjoyed successful outings, with both securing solid wins.
European newcomer Heidenheim pulled off a comeback to win 2-1 against Copenhagen, while Omonoia and Pafos battled to a 1-1 draw in an all-Cypriot confrontation.
Finally, Borac narrowly escaped with a 1-0 win against Olimpija, scoring after a missed late penalty attempt.
