Fenerbahçe SK dropped key points after failing to score in a 0-0 Süper Lig draw with Gaziantep FK. In the match played yesterday evening, the Yellow-Navy Blues hit the woodwork twice and squandered two clear-cut opportunities.

Analyst Uğur Meleke criticised the team's tactical setup. Meleke said, "Gaziantep’te tek ön libero olarak Meleke oynarken, Fenerbahçe’de üç tane Meleke tipli ön libero vardı adeta!" He stated this structure made it difficult to utilise striker Romelu Lukaku, who is more of a static box finisher, especially in the absence of Marco Asensio. Meleke suggested Lukaku would be a better partner with Asensio present, but using three similar advanced playmakers hindered the team's attacking flow.

Manager İsmail Kartal made a substitution in the 65th minute, reducing the number of such players on the pitch from three to two while keeping Vedat Muriqi and Oğuz Aydın on. The introduction of Mason Greenwood led to Fenerbahçe creating a couple more clear chances, but they still could not find the net. Gaziantep FK, a tough opponent last season, have become even stronger this year with Orhan Akın's mentality, Abena's strong start, and Uğur Meleke in the advanced playmaker role.

MATCH DETAILS

Fırat Aydınus, assessing the match flow, said Fenerbahçe started controlled after their derby defeat. He noted neither side gained superiority in the first half, with Gaziantep searching for gaps through Sorescu and Kozlowski and creating richer chances. Fenerbahçe's clear chance was missed by Matteo Guendouzi. Aydınus said Fenerbahçe began the second half more eager and pressing, but Gaziantep broke the pressure after the first 15 minutes to rebalance the game. Guendouzi's delayed action, a Kerem Aktürkoğlu shot that hit the post, and a chance involving Greenwood yielded no goals. Aydınus concluded, "Fenerbahçe’nin kan kaybı devam etti." (Fenerbahçe's blood loss continued).

Referee Mehmet Türkmen had little to do in the first half but failed to make correct decisions when called upon. He missed an obvious yellow card and showed a yellow that should not have been given. The critical incident was Arda Güler's deliberate back-pass to the goalkeeper with the inside of his foot; the goalkeeper handled the ball, and the correct decision should have been an indirect free kick.

With this draw, Fenerbahçe's points increased to 7, placing them 11th in the Süper Lig. The team has two wins, one draw, and two losses from five matches, with a recent form of win, win, draw, draw, loss. The gap to leaders Galatasaray has widened to six points. Having scored 8 and conceded 6 goals this season, their top scorer is Vedat Muriqi with 2 goals in 5 appearances. The team's next Süper Lig fixture is away against 14th-placed Başakşehir on 6 December 2026.

This story first appeared at Hürriyet Spor