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Fenerbahce won the battle but lost the war on Thursday night, as Kerem Akturkoglu's brace earned a 2-1 second-leg victory over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, only for the English side to advance to the Europa League round of 16, 4-2 on aggregate, after their commanding 3-0 first-leg triumph in Istanbul.
Domenico Tedesco's side came to Nottingham knowing they needed to overturn a three-goal deficit, a task made all the more daunting by a grim historical record: Fenerbahce had never progressed from any of their previous 26 European knockout ties after losing the first leg. That unwanted streak now extends to 27.
Akturkoglu gave the Turkish visitors hope with a well-taken opener in the 22nd minute, finishing from the centre of the box after Sidiki Cherif released him on the counter-attack. The winger then doubled Fenerbahce's advantage from the penalty spot just three minutes into the second half, after Jair Cunha was adjudged to have fouled him in the area.
For a brief, breathless spell, Fenerbahce were within touching distance of forcing an extraordinary turnaround. But Callum Hudson-Odoi's 68th-minute strike, a composed left-footed finish from Ola Aina's cross, effectively killed the tie, restoring Forest's three-goal aggregate cushion and ensuring the hosts would not need to endure a nervous final stretch.
The tie carried an added layer of intrigue given Vitor Pereira's history with Fenerbahce. The Portuguese manager, who took charge of Forest on February 15 as the club's fourth head coach of a turbulent season, had previously managed the Istanbul side across two separate spells in 2015-2016 and 2021.
His first competitive match in charge of Forest came against his former employers in the first leg, and the 3-0 demolition in Istanbul, courtesy of goals from Murillo, Igor Jesus, and Morgan Gibbs-White, proved to be the decisive evening.
That result represented Forest's biggest ever away win in European competition and gave Pereira an ideal platform. Despite a narrow Premier League defeat to Liverpool in between the two legs, a 97th-minute Alexis Mac Allister winner at the City Ground, Forest's European form has been in sharp contrast to their domestic struggles.
The club sit 17th in the Premier League, just two points above the relegation zone, but their Europa League campaign has offered rare cause for optimism.
For Fenerbahce, the elimination extends a long pattern of continental heartbreak, particularly against English opposition. The Yellow Canaries have now failed to progress from their last five knockout ties against sides from England, having previously been eliminated by Arsenal twice, Chelsea, and Aston Villa. Their sole away victory on English soil in European competition remains a 1-0 win at Manchester United in October 1996.
Tedesco's squad arrived at the City Ground already depleted, missing key players including Ederson, Milan Skriniar, Jayden Oosterwolde, Anderson Talisca, and Edson Alvarez through injury, while Fred was suspended. Goalkeeper Tarik Cetin, deputising in goal, made several saves to keep the second-leg scoreline respectable, denying Igor Jesus, Omari Hutchinson, and Cunha at various stages.
N'Golo Kante was tireless in midfield for the visitors, while substitute Marco Asensio tested Stefan Ortega late on, but it was never going to be enough to bridge the first-leg chasm.
Despite remaining unbeaten across 23 Super Lig matches this season and sitting just two points behind leaders Galatasaray in the domestic title race, Fenerbahce's European journey ends at the playoff stage. The club has not won the Turkish league since 2014, and their supporters may take some consolation that Tedesco's squad can now focus solely on ending that long wait.
Nottingham Forest, by contrast, progress to the last 16, where they will face either Real Betis or FC Midtjylland. They have now won three consecutive European fixtures for the first time since the 1983-84 UEFA Cup and have scored 19 goals across their Europa League campaign this season, matching the total from their legendary 1978-79 European Cup-winning run.
Igor Jesus remains one of the competition's top scorers this term, while Forest's home European record has been formidable, with clean sheets in their previous three Europa League matches at the City Ground before Thursday's result.
For a club that has endured a chaotic domestic season, sacking three managers before turning to Pereira, the Europa League has provided a stage where Forest have looked like an entirely different side. Whether Pereira can translate that European swagger into Premier League survival remains the more pressing question.
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