Fenerbahçe fired a warning shot ahead of their Champions League campaign, thumping Saudi side Al Ittihad 4-0 in a dominant preseason display Thursday at Estadio Municipal de Albufeira.
Youssef En-Nesyri and Jhon Duran wasted no time stamping their mark, combining for three of the Yellow Canaries’ four goals as the Turkish heavyweights extended their perfect preseason record in Portugal.
It took just nine minutes for Fenerbahçe to pounce. Midfielder Sebastian Szymanski pressed high, forced a turnover, and slipped in En-Nesyri, who coolly slotted home his first goal in yellow and navy.
Szymanski turned scorer seven minutes later. A piercing low cross from Archie Brown found the Polish playmaker in stride, and his tidy finish made it 2-0 by the 16th minute.
The second half belonged to Duran. The Colombian teenager, making his club debut, came off the bench and dazzled with a brace, first in the 77th, then again in the 88th, showing both poise and power in the final third.
In goal, Tarık Çetin also debuted, keeping a clean sheet in his second-half outing.
After the match, winger Cengiz Ünder acknowledged fan pressure and emphasized his personal drive to step up this season.
“I’m happy with my form but I’m not satisfied. I came into camp well-prepared, and I want to honor this jersey,” said Ünder. “Our focus is Feyenoord. Every session here is about being ready for that match.”
Ünder also touched on his bond with İrfan Kahveci, his long-time teammate from Başakşehir and the national team.
“There’s a healthy rivalry between us. We push each other,” he said. “It’s always special playing alongside him.”
With three wins from three and a goal difference of +9, Fenerbahçe now gear up for their final Portuguese tune-up – a high-profile clash with Benfica on Saturday.
But all roads point toward their key UEFA Champions League qualifier against Feyenoord.
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