Fenerbahce began their revised Europa League campaign at home on Thursday, defeating Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise 2-1, with both teams finishing with ten players.
Defender Caglar Soyuncu gave Jose Mourinho’s team the lead in the 26th minute with a close-range half-volley, and Christian Burgess’s own goal in the 82nd minute doubled Fenerbahce’s advantage.
Ross Sykes equalized for the visitors in stoppage time. Kevin MacAllister of Union was sent off in the 74th minute, while Bright Osayi-Samuel, a replacement for Fenerbahce, was also sent off in the final minutes.
Last season, Fenerbahce defeated Union Saint-Gilloise in the UEFA Conference League’s Round of 16. Jose Mourinho is no stranger to Europe’s second-tier tournament, having led Manchester United to victory in the Europa League in 2017.
Mourinho became Fenerbahce’s manager in the offseason after leading Roma to the 2023 Europa League final, where they lost to Sevilla on penalties. In another early match, Rangers defeated Malmo 2-0. Nedim Bajrami scored in the first minute, and Ross McCausland added a second-half goal.
Rangers lost to Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2022 Europa League final, and the German team will meet Czech side Viktoria Plzen later Thursday. Tottenham’s match versus Qarabag in London was delayed by 35 minutes owing to transportation issues. Roma will play Athletic Bilbao in one of the other late games.
The Europa League, like the Champions League, has replaced its conventional group stage with an extended league structure. All 36 teams now compete in a single standings table, with each team playing eight matches against eight different opponents until January 30.
Written by Chetachi Enyoghasi
