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Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahce drew 1-1 with Hungary's Ferencvaros in the 5th round of the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, with Brazilian star Anderson Talisca scoring the equalizer. However, the red card shown to Colombian star Jhon Duran minutes later left the home side fuming over the controversial decision.
Despite having 66% possession and a higher expected goal (xG) value of 1.34, Fenerbahce struggled to capitalize on their chances, registering six shots on target out of 19 attempts.
The match, held at Chobani Stadium, began with balanced play from both sides and limited attacking chances in the first 25 minutes. Fenerbahce gradually took control toward the end of the first half but was unable to convert its dominance into a lead, going into the break at 0-0.
Ferencvaros opened the scoring in the 66th minute through a strike from Varga. However, just three minutes later, Talisca responded with a swift equalizer—his first goal in the 2025–26 UEFA Europa League campaign—keeping Fenerbahce in contention.
The Turkish side came close to taking the lead again in the 79th minute when a powerful shot from Nene struck the crossbar after a pass from Talisca.
In the 91st minute, tension escalated as Jhon Duran clashed with Ferencvaros midfielder Raemaekers in a face-to-face altercation. Spanish referee Ricardo de Burgos issued a direct red card to Duran for an apparent headbutt. While video footage appeared to show minimal contact, the decision was upheld, sparking debate among players and fans alike regarding the severity of the call.
Duran’s red card is not the first time Fenerbahce have raised concerns about officiating in this season’s European campaign. The Yellow Canaries previously filed an official complaint with UEFA after Dutch referee Allard Lindhout declined to award a stoppage-time penalty for a challenge on Jhon Duran during their goalless draw with Viktoria Plzen.
The result brought Fenerbahce’s group-stage tally to 8 points, placing them 16th overall among all Europa League contenders. Ferencvaros climbed to 11 points, now standing in 5th position in the group stage rankings.
Fenerbahce will continue their Europa League campaign with an away fixture against Norway’s Brann on December 11.
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