Fernandão stops Celtic as Fenerbahçe fight back
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Article summary
Celtic 2-2 Fenerbahçe
Substitute Fernandão was the Fenerbahçe hero, scoring either side of half-time as the Turkish team recovered a two-goal deficit.
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- Celtic surge into 2-0 first-half lead with strikes from Leigh Griffiths and Kris Commons
- Substitute Fernandão restores parity for visitors with efforts either side of half-time
- Celtic move onto two points in Group A
- Fenerbahçe still looking for first win on Scottish soil
- Next games: Molde v Celtic, Fenerbahçe v Ajax (22 October)
Fenerbahçe came from two goals down to earn their first UEFA Europa League Group A point in a pulsating encounter in Glasgow.
After a cagey opening Celtic took command with a two-goal burst either side of the half-hour. Leigh Griffiths got the Hoops up and running when he lashed home at the second attempt after Fabiano could only parry the striker's first effort following a Kris Commons corner.
Four minutes later Commons helped himself to a second, smashing James Forrest's cutback high into the roof of the net to put Ronny Deila's men firmly in control. However, Fenerbahçe were handed a lifeline two minutes before the interval when substitute Fernandão read Efe Ambrose's headed back pass to guide the ball beneath the advancing Craig Gordon.
Fernandão had replaced the injured Volkan Şen and the Brazilian was on target again within three minutes of the restart, nodding in Nani's corner from the edge of the six-metre box. Fenerbahçe were now in the ascendancy and Fernandão might have had a hat-trick for Vítor Pereira's team – lobbing over the crossbar after Raul Meireles sent the striker through one-on-one against Gordon.
However, Commons twice went close to snatching a winner with two long-range efforts before both sides settled for a hard-earned draw.