This setback arrives as a morale boost for Lyon supporters ahead of Tuesday’s high-stakes encounter (21:00 CEST) in Istanbul. Under coach Paulo Fonseca, Fenerbahçe fielded a drastically altered lineup, making six changes from their midweek Europa Conference League win over Sturm Graz. Key players like N’Golo Kanté, Mason Greenwood, Nélson Semedo, and Kerem Aktürkoglu were initially benched, entering only during the final 30 minutes, while left-back Archie Brown remained an unused substitute.

The match unfolded in Ankara, where Fenerbahçe dominated possession (71%) and created 27 shots compared to Gençlerbirligi’s 10. Brazilian Anderson Talisca opened the scoring in the 13th minute, but the hosts fought back with goals from Franco Tongya (37th) and Ogulcan Ülgün (56th). Goalkeeper Tarik Cetin, deputising for injured Mert Günok and suspended Ederson, conceded twice from the three on-target attempts he faced, exposing defensive vulnerabilities just days before facing Lyon’s attack.