Soccer-Fenerbahce outclass Anderlecht, Ajax and Sociedad earn first-leg leads (updated)

AFC Ajax NV

13/02/2025 20:30

(Adds details)
       ISTANBUL, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Turkey's Fenerbahce beat
Belgian side Anderlecht 3-0 in the first leg of their Europa
League knockout round playoff on Thursday as Ajax Amsterdam and
Real Sociedad also secured victories.
    Fenerbahce, managed by Jose Mourinho, took an early lead
through a close-range header from forward Dusan Tadic following
a corner.
        The hosts survived a scare when the referee consulted
VAR about a potential penalty for handball, but it was not given
and Edin Dzeko doubled their advantage before the break.
        His initial strike was blocked by the Anderlecht defence
before the Bosnian striker latched on to the rebound and struck
a low shot into the corner of the net.
  
    Morocco forward Youssef En-Nesyri sealed the win after the
break with a fine header.
        Fenerbahce, unbeaten across all competitions since
mid-December, took the last playoff spot available as they
finished the league phase in 24th place and qualified on goal
difference.
  
        Anderlecht, coming off consecutive defeats in the
competition by Hoffenheim and Viktoria Plzen, were 10th.
  
        
  
        AJAX, SOCIEDAD EARN FIRST-LEG LEAD
  
    Sociedad, who reached the last 16 of the Champions League
last season, earned a 2-1 win at Danish side Midtjylland.
    Midfielder Brais Mendez put the LaLiga side ahead from the
penalty spot before Japan forward Takefusa Kubo added a second
with a shot from outside the area into the top corner.
        The Danish hosts, who return to domestic action this
weekend after more than a two-month winter break, pulled a goal
back before the break through Poland striker Adam Buksa from
close range.
  
        The winners will face Manchester United or Tottenham
Hotspur in last 16.
  
        Ajax secured a 2-0 victory at Belgium's Union
Saint-Gilloise, forward Christian Rasmussen and defender Jorthy
Mokio scoring the goals in the second half.
        The Dutch side lost three consecutive games in the
competition before their home win over Galatasaray in the final
round of group matches.
  
        Record 35-times Hungarian champions Ferencvaros, winners
of the last six domestic league titles, beat Czech visitors
Viktoria Plzen 1-0 to close in on a last-16 place.
    Porto host AS Roma in one of the four later kickoffs.

 (Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk, editing by Ed Osmond)
 ((anita.kobylinska@tr.com; +48 58 769 65 38;))