Fenerbahçe's 18-year wait to play in the Champions League ended in France.
After drawing 1-1 with Olympique Lyon in the first leg in Istanbul in the UEFA Champions League play-off round, the Turkish side took the field at Groupama Stadium for the return match.
Fenerbahçe made an impressive start and put heavy pressure on its opponent in the opening minutes. Oğuz Aydın hit the post in the 20th minute after creating an attack for the Turkish side.
The goal they were looking for arrived just four minutes later.
Vedat Muriqi opened the scoring
- In the 24th minute, Vedat Muriqi finished a move created by Oğuz Aydın. The experienced striker followed up after his initial effort was saved to put Fenerbahçe 1-0 ahead away from home.
The goal gave the Turkish side a significant advantage in the race for a Champions League place.
Fenerbahçe continued to apply pressure after taking the lead.
Archie Brown adds a second
Fenerbahçe found the net again in the 28th minute.
From Mason Greenwood's corner, Archie Brown got to the ball ahead of the Lyon defense and headed home to make it 2-0: 0-2.
Two goals in just four minutes put Fenerbahçe in control of the tie at Groupama Stadium.
The Turkish side went into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
Lyon fought back in the second half
The home side began taking more risks after the break.
- In the 61st minute, Malick Fofana turned Maitland-Niles' ball into the box into a goal, reducing Lyon's deficit to one: 1-2.
The goal raised the tension in the match.
As Lyon pushed forward for an equalizer, Fenerbahçe prioritized defensive security and tried to protect its lead.
VAR decision became a crucial moment
- Lyon put the ball in Fenerbahçe's net again in the 71st minute.
However, the incident was referred to VAR. After referee Maurizio Mariani reviewed the play on the monitor, he ruled that there had been a foul before the goal and disallowed Lyon's effort.
Despite the French side's pressure late in the match, Fenerbahçe managed to preserve its advantage.
After 90 minutes, the scoreboard read Lyon 1-2 Fenerbahçe.
Combined with the 1-1 first-leg draw in Istanbul, the aggregate score finished 3-2 in Fenerbahçe's favor.
18-year wait comes to an end
The result was more than a play-off victory for Fenerbahçe.
The Turkish side earned the right to compete in the main phase of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since the 2008-09 season.
Fenerbahçe had played its last Champions League match against Dynamo Kyiv on December 10, 2008.
In the years since, the Turkish side had entered the Champions League qualifying rounds several times but had failed to reach the league or group stage.
The historic victory over Lyon brought that long wait to an end.
Fenerbahçe's memorable 2007-08 season
Fenerbahçe's greatest achievement in Champions League history came in the 2007-08 season.
Under Zico, the Turkish side advanced from the group stage and eliminated Sevilla in the round of 16 to reach the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time in its history.
Fenerbahçe beat Chelsea 2-1 in the first leg of the quarterfinal in Istanbul but exited the competition after the return match in London.
After 18 years, the Turkish side is now preparing to return to European football's biggest club competition.
Champions League draw awaits
The draw for the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League league phase, which will include Fenerbahçe, will be held in Monaco on August 27.
The draw will determine Fenerbahçe's opponents in the league phase.
After ending its years-long wait by defeating Lyon in France, Fenerbahçe's new objective will be to go as far as possible in the Champions League league phase.
