Fenerbahçe players began the new season with a remarkable 19 consecutive victories. As the 20th match of the 2023/24 season approached, fans were eagerly anticipating what could have been their jubilant 20th win. Hosting Trabzonspor, expectations were high. However, Trabzonspor had other plans, as they secured a well-deserved 3:2 victory.
The visitors took the early lead in the 10th minute with Onuachu heading in a cross from Edin Visca. The score remained 1:0 as the teams headed for the halftime break. The shock came at the beginning of the second half when Ozdemir doubled the lead for Trabzonspor, and Nicolas Pepe soon added another, bringing the score to an overwhelming 3:0.
Fenerbahçe saw a glimmer of hope in the 61st minute when Dusan Tadic successfully converted a penalty. Yet, their hopes diminished when Yuksek received his marching orders with a red card in the 78th minute. Despite being a man down, Fenerbahçe earned another penalty. Tadic’s initial shot was unsuccessful, but a retake saw him pull one back for the hosts, making the score 2:3. In a tense finale during the extended stoppage time, Trabzonspor appeared to have netted their fourth, but a VAR review disallowed the goal due to a foul.
Given Fenerbahçe’s exemplary performance this season, this result came as a shock to many. They now sit in second place with 30 points, trailing behind the new league leader, Galatasaray, with 31 points. Adana holds the third spot with 20 points, followed by Trabzonspor and Beşiktaş, both with 19. Fenerbahçe’s challenges continue as they face Adana next weekend. But before that, they will host Ludogorets in a European match. Edin Dzeko, who played 80 minutes in the recent match without adding to his season’s goal tally, remains tied with Galata’s Mauro Icardi, each boasting 10 goals.
