Fenerbahçe faced a tough setback in their Europa League campaign on Thursday night, suffering a 3-1 defeat to AZ Alkmaar despite a determined performance from Moroccan forward Youssef En Nesyri, who scored the Turkish side’s only goal. This marks Fenerbahçe’s first loss in the competition, halting their previously unbeaten run.
After scoring against Manchester United in their previous outing, En Nesyri found the net again, but the goal wasn’t enough to counter AZ Alkmaar’s strong display.
The Dutch side opened the scoring in the 59th minute when Zangelo Daal converted a well-placed opportunity. Kees Smit extended their lead in the 75th minute, and shortly afterward, Denso Kasius added a third, putting the game beyond Fenerbahçe’s reach.
En Nesyri managed to respond with a goal in the 70th minute after missing a penalty only minutes earlier, but it was ultimately a consolation effort as AZ Alkmaar maintained control until the final whistle.
With the defeat, Fenerbahçe now sits with five points in the standings, occupying 21st place. Their opponents, AZ Alkmaar, have climbed to 17th with six points out of a possible 12, marking a significant improvement in their Europa League journey.
In another match that caught the attention of fans, Ferencváros delivered a dominant performance against Dynamo Kyiv, clinching a decisive 4-0 victory.
The Hungarian side displayed relentless attacking prowess from start to finish, securing a much-needed win that boosts them to 14th place in the standings with six points.
For Dynamo Kyiv, the evening ended in disappointment, as they suffered their fourth consecutive defeat in the tournament, leaving them anchored at the bottom with zero points.
The results mark a notable shift in the competition, with both AZ Alkmaar and Ferencváros making strides in the group standings, while Fenerbahçe and Dynamo Kyiv grapple with their own challenges in advancing to the next round.
