Fenerbahçe - Nottingham Forest: 3-0 Home Defeat Leaves Fenerbahçe Facing Injury and Suspension Crisis
Fenerbahçe suffered a damaging 3-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest in the UEFA Europa League play-off first leg, a result compounded by a serious-looking injury to Milan Skriniar and multiple bookings that will leave key players unavailable for the return tie.
Forest clinical in Istanbul as goals from midfield and set pieces settle tie
The English visitors took control with clear-cut finishing and set-piece delivery. The scoring began when Murillo collected the ball in midfield, drove forward and struck from the edge of the area to open the scoring and put Forest ahead 1-0. A subsequent corner produced a headed finish by Igor Jesus that doubled the lead, leaving Fenerbahçe chasing the game. Nottingham completed the rout when Gibbs-White was played through and finished a one-on-one chance to make it 3-0, a margin that puts the tie heavily in the visitors' favor ahead of the second leg.
Fenerbahçe pressed for a response at times — a Talisca effort triggered appeals for a penalty that were checked by VAR and dismissed, and the head coach's protests earned him a yellow card — but the hosts could not find a way back into the match. Defensive lapses on set plays and a lack of cutting final balls in attack were decisive factors in the defeat.
Major injury blow as Skriniar forced off; assessment to follow
The match took a worrying turn in the 26th minute when central defender Milan Skriniar went down and was unable to continue. He was replaced by Çağlar Söyüncü, with the substitution immediately raising concerns about the Slovak international's fitness. Medical staff flagged a problem in the groin area, and an MRI scan scheduled for Friday will determine the severity and recovery timeline.
With Skriniar withdrawn due to injury, the balance of Fenerbahçe's back line was disrupted at a critical moment. Depending on the scan results, the club could face the prospect of missing one of its first-choice central defenders for the return leg. The midweek loss of defensive continuity was evident as Forest exploited space in and around the box to secure their three-goal cushion.
Disciplinary headaches: two bookings rule players out of the return leg
Compounding the damage on the night were several bookings that create selection problems ahead of the second leg. Jayden Oosterwolde was shown a yellow card for dissent in the 69th minute, a caution that places him on suspension for the next match. In stoppage time, Fred also received a yellow (90+1), meaning he too will be unavailable for the return fixture.
Those suspensions leave the coach with fewer options on the flanks and in midfield, at a time when squad rotation and tactical adjustments will be crucial to overturning a three-goal deficit. The combination of injury and suspension means the coaching staff must reorganize the defensive setup and find replacements who can handle the intensity of a decisive away tie.
After a home night to forget, the team now faces a tight turnaround: an MRI will clarify Skriniar's condition, and preparations for the second leg must address both the tactical and personnel voids created by bookings and injury. The margin of defeat places Fenerbahçe on the back foot, and the coming days will be decisive in shaping the club's strategy for an uphill battle in the return leg.
