UEL: Fenerbahçe Overcomes Anderlecht to Secure Spot in Europa League Last 16

José Mourinho's Fenerbahçe advanced to the Europa League last 16, overcoming Anderlecht with a 5-2 aggregate victory, following a thrilling 2-2 draw.

Fenerbahçe has secured a spot in the UEFA Europa League's last 16, following a thrilling 2-2 draw against RSC Anderlecht. The Turkish side's aggregate score of 5-2 advances them to the next round, marking José Mourinho's team's 15th consecutive unbeaten match across all competitions, with 11 wins and 4 draws.

Anderlecht faced a monumental task, trailing by three goals after their first-leg defeat in Istanbul. To overcome this deficit, the Belgian team needed a strong start against Fenerbahçe. However, it was the Turkish side that quickly took control, scoring within four minutes. Edin Džeko seized an opportunity created by Lucas Hey's mistake and selflessly assisted Youssef En-Nesyri in scoring an easy goal from close range.

The match experienced a 20-minute suspension due to crowd trouble shortly after the opening goal. Upon resumption, the hosts, Anderlecht, responded perfectly when Luis Vázquez capitalized on İrfan Eğribayat's mistimed kick, tapping the ball into the empty net.

Anderlecht's momentum grew after Vázquez's goal, and they pursued a second goal before halftime. However, İrfan Eğribayat redeemed himself by making smart saves from Theo Leoni and César Huerta, keeping the visitors level.

Fenerbahçe book a place in the round of 16 💪#UEL pic.twitter.com/pStWzCYHZN

— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) February 20, 2025

In the second half, Anderlecht continued to push forward but squandered a prime opportunity to score again when Ali Maamar dragged his effort wide from a favorable position. Undeterred, the Belgian side persisted and eventually scored their second goal in the 55th minute, courtesy of Vázquez's finish from Thorgan Hazard's cutback.

Fenerbahçe soon restored their three-goal aggregate lead through Yusuf Akçiçek, who headed Milan Škriniar's header back across goal into the bottom corner. This goal effectively ended Anderlecht's hopes of a miraculous comeback. Although Leander Dendoncker came close with a long-range free-kick, Fenerbahçe comfortably navigated the closing stages to extend their unbeaten head-to-head run against Anderlecht to six games and secure their spot in the UEFA Europa League's last 16.