Fenerbahçe defeats Zenit 2-1 in friendly match
Fenerbahçe faced Russian side Zenit in a friendly match, emerging with a 2-1 victory. The Yellow-Navy Blues secured the win with goals from Cenk Tosun and Levent Mercan, while young players also had the opportunity to feature in the match.
İHA
Fenerbahçe faced Russian side Zenit in a friendly match during the international break at the Ülker Stadium Şükrü Saracoğlu Sports Complex. Head coach Jose Mourinho started the match with the following lineup: İrfan Can Eğribayat, Rodrigo Becao, Yusuf Akçiçek, Levent Mercan, Oğuz Aydın, Fred, Bartuğ Elmaz, Filip Kostic, Zeki Dursun, Dusan Tadic, and Cenk Tosun.
Referee Ozan Ergün officiated the match, assisted by Mehmet Emin Tuğral and Deniz Caner Özaral. Fenerbahçe took a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute. Following a through ball from Dusan Tadic, Cenk Tosun sent the ball into the net with a shot from the right side of the penalty area.
In the 35th minute, Aleksandr Erokhin scored the equalizer after a cross from Akhmetov from the right side of the penalty area to the back post. The first half ended in a 1-1 draw, and Mourinho started the second half with goalkeeper Osman Ertuğrul Çetin.
In the 63rd minute of the second half, which saw attacks from both sides, Levent Mercan played a one-two with Dusan Tadic and sent the ball into the net with a powerful shot from inside the penalty arc, putting his team ahead once again.
With no further goals in the remainder of the match, the Canaries left the pitch with a 2-1 victory.
Young players Şükür Toğrak, Yiğit Emir Ekiz, Muharrem Çizgili, Kaan Akyazı, and Kerem Kayaarası also received playing time in this special match. Zenit took the field with the following lineup: Denis Adamov, Chistiakov, Nino, Rodrigao, Douglas Santos, Wilmar Barrios, Aleksandr Erokhin, Ilzat Akhmetov, Pedro Henrique, Maksim Glushenkov, and Aleksandr Sobolev.
25 CHILDREN WITH DIABETES JOINED THE CEREMONY
Fenerbahçe and Zenit raised awareness for World Diabetes Day on November 14, emphasizing that 'diabetes is not a barrier and that children with diabetes can continue their education and sports lives healthily.' Players from both teams walked out for the ceremony accompanied by 25 children with diabetes, including one of Russian descent.
FANS SHOWED INTEREST
Tickets for this special match were sold for 10, 15, and 20 TL. Despite the cold and rainy weather, the Yellow-Navy fans filled the stands. They supported Fenerbahçe with chants from the very first minutes of the match. Russian fans also followed the game from the designated away section.