Anis Hadj Moussa’s stoppage-time strike ensured Feyenoord claimed a dramatic 2-1 win over Fenerbahce in their UEFA Champions League (UCL) third qualifying round first-leg, leaving the Turkish side with work to do in their quest to end an incredible 17-year absence from the main stage of the competition.
The Eredivisie side made the brighter start and took a deserved lead inside the opening 20 minutes when Quinten Timber neatly manoeuvred himself inside the box and saw his deflected strike beat Irfan Can Egribayat at his near post.
Buoyed on by a raucous crowd, Robin van Persie’s men were playing with confidence. Hadj Moussa looked to double their advantage with a curling left-footed strike which went just past the post.
In contrast, Jose Mourinho’s side were looking sluggish, but gathered some momentum as the half wore on. Archie Brown was denied by Timon Wellenreuther, before Youssef En-Nesyri had a header ruled out for offside.
Sem Steijn came within inches of netting a second Feyenoord goal, but the skipper’s free-kick grazed the roof of the net in first-half stoppage time.
The Yellow Canaries continued their resurgence after the break, playing with much more aggression and intensity. Sebastian Szymanski and Brown had two quickfire chances to restore parity before Mourinho introduced Jhon Duran from the bench.
Despite producing some magic UCL moments for Aston Villa in last season’s competition, the Colombian was struggling to gain much of a foothold in the match. In fact, Jordan Bos was next to go close for the hosts with an attempt which was well held by Egribayat.
Mourinho’s side thought they were going to leave the Netherlands with a hard-earned draw thanks to an emphatic equaliser provided by Sofyan Amrabat as he thundered home a ferocious effort which cannoned in off the underside of the bar.
Fenerbahce looked to have held on until Hadj Moussa’s clinical header right at the death from a sumptuous delivery by Bos.
Ultimately, the Dutch side held on for a narrow win, which means that all six of Mourinho’s personal meetings with Feyenoord have ended in a home victory (W3 L3). Meanwhile, Van Persie has the upper hand against a side he represented for two and a half years as a player, as Feyenoord take a step towards returning to the competition where they made the round of 16 last season.