Greg . 2 days ago

Fenerbahce come from behind to knock out Feyenoord in dramatic seven-goal second leg

Fenerbahce dug deep to progress from the Champions League (UCL) third qualifying round, defeating Feyenoord 5-2 in Turkey to claim a 6-4 aggregate win.

Progression keeps their hopes of a first UCL main draw appearance since 2008/09 alive.

An evenly contested opening soon gave way to a period of Fener dominance, as the Turkish side looked to overturn a first-leg defeat, with Jhon Duran looking menacing early on.

 Strike partner Youssef En-Nesyri then had his celebrations cut short just before the half-hour mark, straying marginally offside as the home side pressed for an opener.

The Fenerbahçe backline had rarely been troubled, but with half-time approaching, Feyenoord took a surprise lead through Tsuyoshi Watanabe, who headed home Hwang In-beom’s delivery from a deep set piece.

However, it took just three minutes for Fener to strike back, capitalising on Anis Hadj Moussa’s miskick that led to a corner, which was converted by Archie Brown with a header of his own.

Incredibly, a third goal in six minutes saw the tie levelled thanks to Duran, who accused onto En-Nesyri’s knockdown and prodded home clinically in first-half stoppage time, putting his side ahead on the night.

Searching for fresh impetus, Robin van Persie turned to his bench at the break, bringing on Goncalo Borges, who was only denied by the outstretched boot of Irfan Can Egribayat.

That stop proved pivotal minutes later when Fred produced a sumptuous effort from range, bending his strike into the top corner without breaking stride to put Fener ahead on aggregate.

The typically fervent home supporters were in a buoyant mood as their side remained in control of the contest heading into the final stages of the tie.

Ultimately, there was no way through for Feyenoord, who rallied late on before a swift breakaway at the other end sealed the result, with En-Nesyri tucking home Brown’s low cross.

Watanabe restored a glimmer of hope in the 89th minute when he bagged his brace by lashing in a half-volley from the edge of the area, but any glimmer of hope was dashed by a fifth home goal as Anderson Talisca capped off the scoring with a well-placed finish.

Jose Mourinho's side now have one more hurdle to clear, facing either Nice or Benfica in the playoff round.

As for Feyenoord, a ninth loss in their last 16 European away fixtures (W2, D5) means they will drop into the UEFA Europa League playoff qualifier.

Betopick Man of the Match: Archie Brown (Fenerbahce)Check out the match stats here.