Fenerbahce’s Late Rally Fails to Net Victory as Manchester United Edge Out Win
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – Manchester United scraped a 2-1 win over Fenerbahce in a entertaining Europa League fixture, with the Istanbul side mounting a spirited comeback in the second half, only to fall just short.
The Dutch side got off to a flying start, with Wout Fouladvand netting the opener within the opening 17 minutes of the match. However, Fenerbahce soon got back on level terms, with Youssef En-Nesyri nodding in a cross from Allan Saint-Maximin in the 54th minute.
The match saw a dramatic twist in the 65th minute, with Manchester United’s Erik ten Haag introducing Casemiro and Rasmus Hojlund from the bench, replacing Victor Lindelof and Zirkzee. However, the home side continued to push for a win, with Fenerbahce’s manager, Jose Mourinho, being shown a straight red card for his protests after a potential penalty was denied by VAR.
Despite being a man down, Fenerbahce continued to threaten, with Diogo Dalot and Lisandro Martinez both having efforts saved by Fenerbahce goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic. Manchester United, on the other hand, saw Marcus Rashford and Garnacho add to the pressure, with the latter almost netting in the 80th minute, only to fire his effort wide.
In the end, it was the Red Devils who took the win, leaving Fenerbahce to lament what could have been, considering the number of chances they created. The teams will now move on to their next Europa League fixtures, with Manchester United set to face PAOK at Old Trafford next.
