Fenerbahçe secured a playoff spot in the UEFA Europa League despite being held to a 1–1 draw by Romanian side FCSB in their final league-phase match on Thursday night.
The Yellow Canaries, the only Turkish representatives in the competition, entered the game under pressure after a modest league-phase campaign that yielded just 12 points from eight matches. With the quality in their squad, expectations had been higher heading into the decisive encounter.
Fenerbahçe opened the scoring in the 19th minute when İsmail Yüksek rose highest to head home from a corner delivered by Kerem Aktürkoğlu. The goal came moments after FCSB goalkeeper Ștefan Târnovanu denied Youssef En-Nesyri with a fine save.
FCSB responded strongly and dominated long spells of the contest, creating numerous chances in search of an equaliser. However, Fenerbahçe goalkeeper Ederson produced a series of outstanding saves to keep his side ahead, denying efforts from Darius Olaru, David Miculescu, Mert Müldür and Mamadou Thiam in one-on-one situations.
The hosts eventually found their breakthrough late in the game when substitute Juri Cisotti struck in stoppage time, finishing from close range after a pass from Risto Radunović to level the score.
Both sides pushed for a winner in the closing minutes, with chances at either end. Thiam narrowly missed the target for FCSB, while Marco Asensio saw his effort saved by the home goalkeeper. Ederson was again called into action in the dying moments, producing a crucial stop to deny Mihai Lixandru and preserve the draw.
The result was enough to send Fenerbahçe through to the Europa League playoffs, while FCSB were eliminated from the competition. Ederson’s performance earned him the Man of the Match award after a commanding display between the posts.
Fenerbahçe will now turn their attention to the playoff stage as they look to revive their European campaign.