Fenerbahce SK secured their opening victory in the UEFA Europa League group stage with a 2-1 win against OGC Nice, extending the French side’s European woes to 14 matches without a victory (D4, L10).
The Turkish side raced into the lead in just the third minute, with Kerem Akturkoglu netting his first goal for Fenerbahce.
The breakthrough came after Anderson Talisca exploited a massive gap in Nice’s defence, threading a precise pass that allowed Akturkoglu to slot a left-footed finish past goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf.
Nice had a chance to respond when Kevin Carlos rose to meet a Jonathan Clauss cross but headed wide.
However, Akturkoglu doubled Fenerbahce’s advantage with a powerful surging run into the box, his shot deflecting off Juma Bah before finding the net.
The visitors were handed hope when Milan Skriniar handled the ball inside the box following a clash with Tiago Gouveia.
From the resulting penalty, Carlos kept his composure and converted to cut the deficit. Moments later, Gouveia came close to leveling, only to see his header crash against the woodwork.
After a frenetic first half, the second period began at a slower pace, with both sides failing to register shots on target until the hour mark.
Terem Moffi finally tested Fenerbahce’s goalkeeper Ederson with a long-range effort, which was comfortably saved.
Fenerbahce’s attacking efforts continued, with Youssef En Nesyri missing two golden opportunities to put the game beyond doubt. He headed over from Dorgeles Nene’s cross and later faced a quick-reacting Diouf, who denied him in a one-on-one.
The victory marks a strong home record for Fenerbahce, who have now lost only twice in their last 13 Europa League home fixtures (W6, D5). Domenico Tedesco’s tenure continues positively, with the former Belgium coach unbeaten in five of his first six matches (W3, D2).
Meanwhile, Franck Haise’s side remain in a slump, having now lost 11 consecutive UEL away games and managing just two wins in 10 fixtures across all competitions this season (D1, L7).
