Ankara’s Gençlerbirliği provided the big surprise of the opening day of the 2026–2027 Turkish league season this weekend, beating Fenerbahçe 2–1 at the Eryaman Stadium in the Turkish capital, coming from behind after conceding a goal to the Istanbul side in the first half.
Fenerbahçe took the lead in the 13th minute. Oğuz Aydın tried his luck with a shot from the left-hand side of the box and, following a save by goalkeeper İrfan Can Eğribayat, Levent Mercan played the ball into the six-yard box for Anderson Talisca, who was unmarked, to finish from close range and make it 0–1. The Brazilian would, in fact, prove to be one of the Yellow Canaries’ most dangerous players throughout the match, hitting the woodwork twice.
Gençlerbirliği’s response came in the 37th minute, after Fenerbahçe lost possession whilst clearing the ball from their own goal. Oğulcan Ülgün pressed high up the pitch and managed to win the ball back; Sékou Koïta received it and played the ball out to the edge of the box for Franco Tongya, who beat the goalkeeper with a shot across goal – despite a diving save by Tarık Çetin – to level the match.
After the break, the match continued at a frenetic pace with numerous goal-scoring opportunities for the side managed by İsmail Kartal, but it was the home side who would ultimately score the decisive goal. In the 56th minute, Ülgün once again found himself completely unmarked in the box to score with a spectacular header from a cross by Abdurrahim Dursun from the left wing, putting Gençlerbirliği ahead.
Fenerbahçe pushed for an equaliser during the closing stages of the match and Talisca tested the home goalkeeper on several occasions, but the Ankara side withstood the pressure and held on to their 2–1 lead until the final whistle.
The refereeing of the match sparked controversy
The match, however, was marred by significant refereeing controversy, as Fenerbahçe protested what they described as “two clear penalties”: one for a possible foul on Mert Müldür inside the box during a corner in the 48th minute; and another in the 71st minute for possible handball by Dimitrios Goutas following a shot by Talisca. In both instances, referee Oğuzhan Aksu allowed play to continue and the VAR did not recommend reviewing the incidents on the monitor.
The controversy has been further fuelled by comments made by Anthony Taylor, a former English football referee and member of the FIFA Referees’ Committee, as reported by the Turkish newspaper Sözcü. In these comments, Taylor points out that Goutas’s handball should have resulted in a penalty, although regarding the other incident, he considers that the contact with Mert Müldür, which caused the Fenerbahçe player to fall inside the box, did not warrant a penalty.
“The league cannot continue like this,” warns Fenerbahçe
Following the match, Fenerbahçe’s general secretary, Mahmut Uslu, denounced what he considered to be refereeing misconduct against his team: “Two clear penalties were not awarded. We were determined to win. From our point of view, the league cannot continue like this,” he said in comments reported by Turkish media.
The defeat in their opening match of the season against Gençlerbirliği marks a difficult start for Fenerbahçe, who went into the first matchday of the Turkish league with their attention also focused on their upcoming European fixture against Lyon. Indeed, İsmail Kartal’s side had made several changes to the starting line-up, leaving players such as N’Golo Kanté, Mason Greenwood, Kerem Aktürkoğlu and Vedat Muriqi on the bench, due to commitments in the Champions League.
Match stats
| GENÇLERBİRLİĞİ | FENERBAHÇE | |
|---|---|---|
| Total shots | 7 | 20 |
| Shots on target | 3 | 10 |
| Possession | 30% | 70% |
| Fouls | 6 | 10 |
| Yellow cards | 0 | 1 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
| Offsides | 0 | 2 |
| Corners | 1 | 12 |
Results of the 1st round of the Super League
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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