Fenerbahçe made a winning start to their UEFA Champions League qualifying campaign on Tuesday, defeating Polish club Gornik Zabrze 1-0 in the first leg of their second qualifying round tie thanks to Anderson Talisca's first-half free kick at Chobani Stadium in Istanbul.
The Brazilian's 37th-minute strike proved enough to separate the teams, giving the Turkish runners-up a narrow but valuable advantage before next week's decisive second leg in Poland.
Fenerbahçe entered the 2026-27 campaign determined to end a lengthy absence from Europe's elite competition after finishing second in the Süper Lig last season.
Under Ismail Kartal, who returned for a fourth spell as head coach in June on a one-year contract, the club are aiming to reach the Champions League proper for the first time since the 2008-09 season.
Gornik Zabrze, runners-up in Poland's Ekstraklasa, arrived in Istanbul hoping to frustrate the hosts and keep the tie alive before the return leg at Arena Zabrze on July 29. Instead, they spent much of the evening defending as Fenerbahçe dictated the tempo.
