Fenerbahçe fightback not enough as Nottingham Forest advance 4-2 on aggregate
Fenerbahçe defeated Nottingham Forest 2-1 in the UEFA Europa League return leg at the City Ground but were eliminated on a 4-2 aggregate score after losing the first leg 3-0. The result matters because the comeback fell short despite two goals from Kerem Aktürkoğlu and late intervention from goalkeeper Tarık Çetin, leaving the club to end its European campaign.
Kerem Aktürkoğlu’s brace gives Fenerbahçe temporary hope
Kerem Aktürkoğlu put Fenerbahçe ahead in the 22nd minute with a finish after Williams failed to clear a Cherif cross, and he converted a penalty in the 48th minute after Jair Cunha brought him down in the box. The 27-year-old forward’s two goals raised his tally to six in European competition this season; domestically he has scored four league goals and also has one in the Süper Kupa, bringing his seasonal total to 11.
City Ground sequence of chances shapes the tie
The match featured a string of openings that influenced the outcome. In the 12th minute Anderson reached the byline and delivered a low ball that Fenerbahçe cleared; Anderson again forced a near miss with a low angled shot in the 24th minute that went narrowly wide. On 45+1, Kante’s pass split the defence and Kerem laid the ball back to Cherif, whose effort was blocked by Nottingham keeper Ortega. Those near misses left the tie poised until the penalty restored Fenerbahçe’s lead early in the second half.
Nottingham Forest reply through Callum Hudson-Odoi alters aggregate
Nottingham Forest cut the deficit in the 68th minute when Callum Hudson-Odoi met Ola Aina’s cross and finished at the back post, making the match 2-1 and swinging the aggregate to 4-2 in Forest’s favour. That single goal offset Fenerbahçe’s two strikes and ultimately decided which side progressed to the Europa League last 16.
Tarık Çetin reflects on belief after 2-0 and individual efforts
Goalkeeper Tarık Çetin said the squad went into the fixture with many injured players and that the team played to enjoy the match despite absences. He added that after the score reached 2-0 he truly believed the tie could be turned, and he praised the supporters for sustained backing until the final whistle. Tarık also described the personal challenge of regaining match sharpness after limited playing time and said he had been doing extra training to help the team; during the game he made notable stops, denying Igor Jesus in a one-on-one in the 79th minute and saving a Hutchinson chance in the 89th.
Injuries, substitutions and youth involvement affect the line-up
Fenerbahçe’s wing player Dorgeles Nene suffered two blows during the match—first at the 18th minute he went to the turf and later at the 43rd minute he was again forced off; he was replaced at halftime by Nelson Semedo. Seventy-six minutes into the match the club brought on 17-year-old Alaettin Ekici for Sidiki Cherif, marking Ekici’s first appearance in a European game; the youngster had previously seen action in the Ziraat Türkiye Kupası this season. Those changes reflected both injury management and a rotation strategy in an effort to influence the contest.
What makes this notable is that despite an energetic response in the second leg under coach Tedesco and a strong individual performance from Kerem, the three-goal deficit from the first leg remained decisive: a 3-0 home defeat in the opening match left Fenerbahçe requiring an unlikely margin in the return, and a 2-1 victory at the City Ground was insufficient to overturn the aggregate.
