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Fenerbahce's marquee summer signing Mason Greenwood made his competitive debut for the Istanbul club on Tuesday as the Turkish side edged Gornik Zabrze 1-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round at the Ulker Stadium, with a Talisca free kick in the 37th minute proving the decisive moment.
Greenwood, who joined Fenerbahce from Marseille earlier this month in a deal reported at 39 million euros, entered the pitch in the 83rd minute as a substitute for Irfan Can Kahveci, giving Istanbul's yellow-and-navy faithful their first look at the 24-year-old Englishman in competitive action.
Though his cameo was brief, the forward had one notable chance in stoppage time, meeting a Marco Asensio cross with a header from close range that sailed just over the bar.
The only goal arrived midway through the first half, when Brazilian midfielder Talisca curled a left-footed free kick into the bottom right corner after a foul by Gornik's Maximilian Dietz on Fred in the attacking third.
It was a moment of precision that belied an otherwise scrappy opening 45 minutes, in which Fenerbahce dominated possession but struggled to convert a series of blocked efforts into clear-cut openings.
Fenerbahce goalkeeper Mert Gunok was called into action in the 16th minute, tipping an Erik Janza effort over the bar from the left side of the box, but Gornik's threat was largely restricted to set pieces and sporadic counter-attacks.
In the second half, Gornik failed to seriously test Fenerbahce's backline, and it was the hosts who came closest to extending their lead, with Bartug Elmaz striking the crossbar from outside the box in the 63rd minute, assisted by Irfan Can Kahveci following a corner.
Talisca also had three attempts saved by Gornik goalkeeper Philipp Schulze in a busy final half-hour.
The former Manchester United forward has had a turbulent trajectory since being suspended by United in January 2022 following allegations of assault and attempted rape, charges that were subsequently dropped.
He spent a loan season at Getafe in Spain before joining Marseille, where he rebuilt his reputation over two years in Ligue 1, netting 23 goals across all competitions in his final season.
Fenerbahce, who signed him on a four-year deal, will receive Manchester United as co-beneficiaries of the transfer fee due to a sell-on clause included when Greenwood originally left Old Trafford.
The Istanbul club, which finished second in the Turkish Super Lig last season behind city rivals Galatasaray, is managed by Domenico Tedesco and has assembled a squad that also includes veteran Spanish midfielder Marco Asensio, Dutch defender Jayden Oosterwolde, French midfielder Matteo Guendouzi, Portuguese right-back Nelson Semedo, and Slovakian centre-back Milan Skriniar.
Brazilian midfielder Fred, a former Manchester City and Manchester United player, featured from the start alongside Talisca.
For Gornik Zabrze, the result leaves them needing at least two goals in the return leg at their stadium in Poland, scheduled for July 29.
The Silesian club, who qualified for European competition after finishing runners-up in the Polish Ekstraklasa, are returning to Champions League qualifying for the first time in nearly four decades.
They had entered Tuesday's match on the back of a 3-1 defeat to Lech Poznan in the Polish Super Cup just days earlier. Despite those early-season difficulties, Gornik kept the match competitive throughout, limiting Fenerbahce to a single goal despite the hosts' pressure and territorial advantage.
The second leg of the tie will determine whether Fenerbahce advances to the third qualifying round, where they would face one of several clubs including Union Saint-Gilloise, Sparta Prague, Sturm Graz, Hearts or NEC Nijmegen. Failure to progress would drop them to the Europa League qualifying path.
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