Fenerbahçe staged an impressive comeback in the thirteenth round of the Turkish Super Lig to beat Çaykur Rizespor 5-2 away and consolidate their position as serious title contenders.
The game got off to an uphill start for the visitors: only six minutes into the match, Ali Sowe opened the scoring for Rizespor with a splendid goal, and shortly after, in the 15th minute, Qazim Laçi scored the second goal for the Black Sea side with a curling shot from a free kick. During the first half, the Yellow Canaries showed notable defensive weaknesses, and the home side’s dominance was evident not only in the scoreline, but also on the pitch.
Asensio, Fenerbahçe’s driving force
The second half was completely different. Fenerbahçe came out with a different attitude and found the decisive impetus in Spaniard Marco Asensio, who scored two goals (54th and 65th minute). The first of his goals came after a poor rebound from Rizespor’s Ivorian goalkeeper Yahia Fofana; the second, from outside the box, came with luck as his shot ricocheted off the turf with spin and into the goal without Fofana being able to do anything to stop it.
In fact, Asensio‘s role would ultimately prove key to the outcome of the match. Since his arrival at Fenerbahçe last September, the Majorcan has been an attacking mainstay for the Yellow Canaries, combining vision, goals and assists: his performance on Sunday was undoubtedly one of his finest moments wearing the Fenerbahçe’s T-shirt.
In between Asensio’s two goals, two important milestones occurred that sealed the fate of the match. Firstly, just three minutes after Asensio’s first goal, Talisca had sealed the tie in the 58th minute with a beautiful header from Dorgeles Nene’s pass; secondly, Laçi’s sending off in the 63rd minute for a double yellow after a disputed challenge on Kerem Aktürkoğlu left Rizespor with only ten men and paved the way for Fenerbahçe to play at will.
Total domination with numerical superiority
With the numerical superiority in their favour, Domenico Tedesco‘s side imposed their rhythm: En-Nesyri extended the lead in the 78th minute after a pass in the box from Nene, and in the closing stages Archie Brown sealed the win two minutes from time with a shot through the keeper’s legs.
The win took Fenerbahçe’s tally to 31 points and left them just one point behind leaders Galatasaray, who beat Gençlerbirliği from Ankara in Istanbul, keeping the battle at the top of the table intensifying. Rizespor, meanwhile, stagnates on 14 points and drops to 11th place. The win also marks the fifth consecutive victory for Tedesco’s team, who has strengthened its credentials as one of the favourites for the title following Mourinho’s departure from the club.
Results of the 13th round of the Super League
Turkish league: standings
VOTE
EDITORIAL TEAM
🧿 About us
.
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.
…
📣 Your ADVERTISING on Hispanatolia
.
🤗 HELP US WITH A DONATION:
💗 Paypal
