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Fenerbahce came from behind twice to beat Liverpool 3-2 on Wednesday, earning the Turkish club its first UEFA Champions League victory in more than 18 years.
Vedat Muric scored the winner in the 79th minute at Istanbul’s Chobani Stadium. It completed a comeback against an English side that had led twice in a match that swung back and forth.
Liverpool went ahead in the 25th minute through Trey Nyoni. Mason Greenwood answered four minutes later, and the teams went into halftime level at 1-1.
Alexander Isak put the visitors back in front in the 69th minute. Archie Brown equalized four minutes later, and Muric added the third six minutes after that.
The result was Fenerbahce’s first win in the Champions League since April 2, 2008, when they beat Chelsea in the quarterfinals. The club now has five points from four matches in the league phase, the format in which clubs play a set number of games in one table rather than in traditional groups. Liverpool dropped points for the first time this season.
The win comes with a caveat. Fenerbahce have yet to keep a clean sheet in six Champions League matches this season, a total that includes two playoff fixtures.
Dirk Kuyt, the Dutch technical lead of the club, told reporters after the match that his side had “achieved a miracle,” adding that few people had expected Fenerbahce to win. He said the team had been through difficult times and had tried to stay united and keep believing.
“This win was not luck. We deserved it,” Kuyt said, adding that if the club can show the same energy at home, it can win anywhere.
He said he believes Fenerbahce still have a chance of reaching the Champions League playoff round. He also stressed that the domestic league remains the club’s main priority and that the team must now prepare for its next league match.
Kuyt also spoke about Emre Belozoglu, who has been appointed head coach. He said the two played together for a long time during their careers and have a good friendship. Kuyt said he hugged Emre on Wednesday morning and congratulated him, and that Emre wished him luck. He said he will stay “as long as the president wants and Emre also wants.”
“Of course I want to be here, I love this club very much,” Kuyt said.
Muric said the victory should mark a turning point for a team going through a difficult period. He said he hoped it would be remembered together after a championship at the end of the season.
He also recalled the 2008 win over Chelsea, which he said finished 2-1. He watched it as a child in Kosovo with friends, long before he became a professional. “I am very happy and proud to have scored the winning goal in the Champions League 18 years later,” he said.
Muric praised the fans, saying that despite rain the stadium was full and that the team showed “the Fenerbahce they have wanted to see for a long time.”
He was equally warm about Emre, calling him “a legend of the club.” Muric said he knew Emre’s coaching methods from his earlier spell at the club six or seven years ago, and he rated his analysis and communication very highly. “I think the best possible choice in this process was Emre Hoca,” he said.
Muric acknowledged that pressure comes with playing for Fenerbahce. He said criticism is sometimes harsh but that everyone in football has the freedom to make it.
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