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Romanian side FCSB fought back from a first-half deficit to secure a 1-1 draw against Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahce in a tightly contested UEFA Europa League league phase match on Thursday.
Juri Cisotti's 71st-minute equalizer rescued a point for the hosts after Fenerbahce had controlled much of the match and taken an early lead through Ismail Yuksel's 18th-minute header.
Fenerbahce entered the match as heavy favorites and demonstrated their quality throughout, controlling 65.9% of possession and outshooting FCSB 17-14. The visitors took the lead when Yuksel connected with a Kerem Akturkoglu cross to head past goalkeeper Stefan Tarnovanu from close range.
Despite their territorial dominance, Jose Mourinho's side struggled to convert their opportunities into goals. Moroccan striker Youssef En-Nesyri missed several chances, while Brazilian midfielder Talisca saw multiple efforts saved by Tarnovanu, who finished the match with seven saves.
FCSB weathered sustained pressure throughout the match, making tactical adjustments at halftime by introducing Octavian Popescu and Cisotti. The substitutions proved decisive, with Cisotti finding space in the penalty area to fire home Risto Radunovic's cross and level the score.
The equalizer sparked a frantic final 20 minutes as both teams pushed for a winner. Fenerbahce brought on Marco Asensio and Oguz Aydin in search of a decisive goal, while FCSB's Tarnovanu produced crucial late saves to preserve the draw, denying Popescu twice in stoppage time.
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The competitive nature of the encounter resulted in four yellow cards, with Fenerbahce receiving three bookings. Ismail Yuksel was cautioned in the 28th minute for a foul on Darius Olaru, while Fred and goalkeeper Ederson also received yellow cards late in the match. FCSB's Cisotti was shown a yellow card in the 89th minute.
The result leaves FCSB with six points from five matches in the league phase, while Fenerbahce moves to 11 points as they continue their pursuit of automatic qualification to the knockout rounds.
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