Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce have booked their place in the UEFA Champions League qualifying playoffs after staging a dramatic comeback to eliminate Robin van Persie’s Feyenoord on Tuesday night.
The Turkish side trailed 2-1 from the first leg in the Netherlands and fell further behind in the return fixture when Tsuyoshi Watanabe struck for Feyenoord in the 41st minute. However, Mourinho’s men responded swiftly, scoring twice before halftime and eventually securing a 5-2 victory in Istanbul.
The result gave Fenerbahce a 6-4 aggregate win, sealing their progression to the playoff round. They will now face Portuguese giants Benfica, who overcame Nice in their own qualifier, with the first leg scheduled for next week. The tie will decide who advances to the lucrative 36-team league phase of the revamped Champions League.
