As part of the preparations for the new season, Fenerbahçe lost 4-3 on penalties to Zenit in the first match of the Pari Premier Cup tournament in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg.
Starting the match more effectively, the host Zenit developed serious positions in the 6th, 9th, 22nd and 37th minutes and got opportunities to score. In these attacks, Fenerbahçe goalkeeper İrfan Can Eğriyabat avoided the dangers by taking a good position.
Fenerbahce, on the other hand, played by waiting more in the first half and created a danger with the balls they grabbed. Finding their first serious position with Arao in the 22nd minute, the yellow-dark blue team approached the goal with Serdar Dursun in the 35th and 42nd minutes.
Besides goalkeeper İrfan Can Eğribayat, İsmail Yüksek, who caught many balls with on-the-spot interventions and put his team on the attack, seemed ready for the new season.
The first half of the match ended 0-0.
Fenerbahce, who came out with the same staff in the second half, was the side that seemed more effective in this section. Contrary to the game in the first half, the yellow-dark blue players, who made more vertical passes and developed attacks, entered serious positions, especially with Oosterwolde’s thrusts from the left wing.
İsmail Yüksek, who stayed in the game for 90 minutes with İrfan Can Eğribayat, continued his good performance in the second half.
In the remaining time, both teams could not find the goal they were looking for and the match went to penalties as per the tournament rules.
ZENIT WINS ON PENALTY
Having scored 4 goals with Malcom, Adamov, Mosotovoy and Sutormin, Zenit managed to beat Fenerbahçe 4-3, who scored 3 goals with İsmail Yüksek, Osayi-Samuel and Pedro.
While Bakaev missed a penalty in Zenit, Rossi and İrfan Can Kahveci in Fenerbahçe could not turn the penalty into a goal.
THE FIRST MATCH OF FENERBAHÇE AND İSMAİL KARTAL IN THE NEW SEASON
Fenerbahçe played its first game within the scope of the preparations for the 2023-24 season, under the management of its new coach İsmail Kartal.
İsmail Kartal, who played in the yellow-dark blue team for many years and was brought to the coaching position for the third time before the new season, gave his first exam in a friendly match with Zenit, one of the well-established teams of Russia.
RYAN KENT’S FIRST MATCH
While Fenerbahçe’s winger Ryan Kent, transferred from Scotland’s Rangers team, made his debut, Nazım Sangare, who has been injured for a long time, took his place on the green field for the first time since 15 May 2022.
Ferdi Kadıoğlu, who returned from the national team injured and ran straight from the team in training, was not put at risk in this match. In this match, İsmail Kartal gave a chance in the first 11 to Burak Kapacak, who was on loan last year with Oosterwolde and Gustavo Henrique, who were not preferred in the squad the previous season.
INTENSE ATTENTION FROM RUSSIAN FANS
Russian fans showed great interest in the Zenit-Fenerbahçe match. The fans, who made up crowds around the stadium and filled almost half of the stadium, listened to songs at the concert held before the match.
According to the statement made during the match, 35 thousand 400 fans watched the match.
Approximately 500 fans of Fenerbahce took their place in the stadium to support their team.
Before the match, it was observed that the Russian security teams took intense security measures in and around the stadium.