With Paulo Fonseca’s side preparing for a high-stakes European showdown in Istanbul, the Yellow Canaries endured a frustrating start to their domestic campaign. Fielding a heavily rotated starting XI—with six changes from their previous midweek match against Sturm Graz—the Turkish outfit found themselves on the back foot against Gençlerbirligi.

Manager Ismail Kartal opted to rest several key players, including N’Golo Kanté, Mason Greenwood, Nélson Semedo and Kerem Aktürkoglu, who all began the game on the bench. The likes of English left-back Archie Brown were also given a breather, with these changes reflecting a clear focus on the upcoming European clash.

Despite dominating possession (71%) and mustering 27 shots (10 on target), Fenerbahçe’s attack faltered against a resolute Gençlerbirligi side. Brazilian forward Anderson Talisca put the visitors ahead after just 13 minutes, but the hosts clawed their way back with goals from Franco Tongya (37′) and Ogulcan Ülgün (56′), leaving Fenerbahçe with an opening-day defeat.

The visitors’ defensive frailties were further exposed by Gençlerbirligi’s efficiency, as third-choice goalkeeper Tarik Cetin—standing in for injured Mert Günok and suspended Ederson—failed to cope with the three clear chances created by the Ankara-based side. With Lyon looming large in their sights, Fenerbahçe will need to regroup quickly to avoid a potentially damaging start to both their league and European campaigns.