Thursday, April 8, 2021 at 7:55 PM• Jeroen van Poppel • Last update: 20:01

Fenerbahçe failed to beat low flyer Yeni Malatyaspor on Thursday evening. Emre Belözoglu’s team started well thanks to a striking free kick from Enner Valencia, but gave up the lead at the end of the first half: 1-1. Fener was unlucky in the second half that two dangerous goal attempts hit the bar. Sari Kanaryalar put his second place on the line, which can be taken over by Galatasaray. Jong Oranje international Ferdi Kadioglu came within the lines at Fenerbahçe immediately after the break.

Odds and goals were scarce in the mediocre first half. In the opening phase, Valencia broke through on the left flank and the Ecuadorian pushed the ball in front. In the seventeenth minute it was still hit for Valencia, who shot the ball through the wall of Yeni Malatyaspor: 0-1. A counter attack led to the tying run after more than half an hour. Moryke ​​Fofana started a huge rush from her own half and laid wide to Mustafa Eskihellac, who could enter the ball at the far post: 1-1.

Fenerbahçe got away well shortly after the break, when a header by Semih Kaya went just wide via the arm of Mbwana Samatta. Referee Halis Özkahya thought it was not worth a penalty. Fenerbahçe himself was dangerous with long shots. Ozan Tufan saw his attempt hit the crossbar from Ertac Özbir’s fingertips, while Luiz Gustavo’s shot skimmed over the goal’s roof. A hit in the rebound of Valencia after a cracked shot by Dimitrios Pelkas was rejected for offside. In the final phase, Valencia hit the bounce and the fingertips of Özbir hit the bar. In injury time, a huge opportunity followed for Pelkas, who slid the ball wide of the goal.