A match shaped by the red card

Fenerbahçe overcame a tough challenge against Trabzonspor at the Chobani Stadium, earning a 1-0 victory in the fifth round of the Süper Lig thanks to a first-half goal from Youssef En-Nesyri. The game’s turning point came in the 18th minute when Okay Yokuşlu was sent off with a straight red card after a reckless tackle on Kerem Aktürkoğlu, leaving the visitors down to ten men for more than 70 minutes.

The action began with controversy as Paul Onuachu appeared to score with a header in the 11th minute, only for VAR to disallow the goal due to a foul on Milan Skriniar. Soon after, Trabzonspor’s situation worsened with Yokuşlu’s dismissal, forcing them to play on the back foot.

From then on, Fenerbahçe dominated proceedings, creating several chances. Anderson Talisca and En-Nesyri both went close before the breakthrough arrived just before halftime. A powerful shot from Fred was initially saved by Andre Onana, with Sebastian Szymanski attempting to finish the rebound. The ball deflected off Onana and fell perfectly for En-Nesyri, who slotted home from close range in the 45th minute to put his side ahead.

En-Nesyri, the game’s standout

The Moroccan striker was the most influential player on the pitch. Just four minutes into the second half, En-Nesyri nearly doubled the lead with a thunderous effort that crashed against the crossbar, an action reviewed by VAR to confirm it had not crossed the line.

Fenerbahçe continued pressing for a second goal, with İrfan Can Kahveci striking the post in the 82nd minute and late substitute Marco Asensio also testing the defense. On the other end, Trabzonspor fought back despite their disadvantage, and Edin Visca almost found the equalizer at the 87th minute, only to be denied by a brilliant save from goalkeeper Ederson.

With this result, Fenerbahçe climbed to 10 points with a game in hand, while Trabzonspor remained stuck at the same tally. In the upcoming fixtures, the Istanbul side will face Corendon Alanyaspor in a rescheduled match before visiting Kasımpaşa, while Trabzonspor will look to bounce back at home against Gaziantep FK.