23.07.2026 19:11
In the first leg of the UEFA Champions League 2nd Qualifying Round, Fenerbahçe defeated Gornik Zabrze. İsmail Kartal's attack-oriented game approach and the efficiency he got from players who were not considered in the team in the past season gave hope to the fans.
Fenerbahçe, welcoming the new season with İsmail Kartal’s renewed touch, started the season with a victory by defeating Polish representative Gornik Zabrze 1-0 in Kadıköy in the first match of the UEFA Champions League 2nd Qualifying Round. Beyond the 1-0 score advantage on the field, İsmail Kartal’s offensive-oriented game approach and the high efficiency he got from the players gave hope to the fans for the future.
İSMAİL KARTAL EFFECT: OLD PLAYERS REVIVED
The most prominent aspect of the yellow-navy team in the match was the ambitious and eager performance of the players who fell short of expectations last season. İrfan Can Kahveci, who was left out of the squad last season, added dynamism to the attack line with his eager and lively game. Fred, who was expected to be sent off from the team, made the technical staff smile with his resistance in midfield and his pressing and combative nature.
BARTUĞ ELMAZ STORM ON THE FIELD
Undoubtedly, the biggest gain of the match was the 23-year-old Bartuğ Elmaz, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Fatih Karagümrük. The statistics of the young player, who managed the tempo of the midfield like a maestro, were remarkable. Bartuğ achieved a fantastic rate of approximately 97% by finding the target in 64 of his 66 pass attempts. Additionally, out of his 4 shots, 1 found the goal, and 1 ball hit the post. The young star, who met the ball 76 times throughout the match, proved his quality with numbers by completing the game with only 3 ball losses.