Victory is missing, yet still the leader…!!!

The Adana Demirspor match turned out to be easier for Fenerbahçe than expected. Especially if they had capitalized on the opportunities in the first half, Fenerbahçe could have easily secured a win. Due to Dzeko, Tadic, and Symanski squandering comfortable chances, Fenerbahçe left the field without scoring a goal in a league match for the first time this season.

The selection of the defensive lineup by Ismail Kartal, particularly after Yusuf’s successful performance in the Conference League in Bulgaria, was eagerly awaited. Would Yusuf, who played well in the Conference League, be fielded in a league match? Or would Samet, who was declared responsible for the defeat in the Trabzonspor match, get a chance? Would Crespo be tried in front of the defense? Ismail Kartal showed confidence in Samet and included him in the starting eleven.

The appetizing football in the first half, even though it didn’t result in goals, pleased the fans. However, the second half saw a completely different Fenerbahçe on the field. Especially in the first 15 minutes of the second half, Fenerbahçe couldn’t take control of the game. Adana Demirspor created dangers in Fenerbahçe’s goal with dangerous attacks, but they couldn’t convert them into goals. In the minutes when the match was balanced, Fenerbahçe fans expected bold moves from Ismail Kartal for a victory, but unfortunately, they didn’t see any.

Cengiz Under came in for Irfan Can Kahveci, but he couldn’t make his presence felt on the field. Batshuayi entered the game for Edin Dzeko, but apart from his superb pass in the offside position, he couldn’t make an impact. Bertug Yilmaz and Mert Muldur were more defensive-minded changes. The substitution of Ryan Kent seemed like a change made to waste time, and it was a change that came too late.

Another person who performed worse on the field than Fenerbahçe and Adana Demirspor was the referee Halil Umut Meler. Umut Meler, who has shown controversial officiating in many matches since the beginning of the season, made scandalous decisions in this match as well. Not showing cards in situations where Balotelli stepped on Mert’s foot, and Belhanda hit Crespo’s face with a header, he did his best to keep Adana Demirspor with 11 players on the field. The scandalous moment of the match was Rodriguez intervening in the altercation between Jayden Osterwoolde and Belhanda, grabbing Osterwoolde by the throat and bringing him down, and the referee not showing any card to Rodriguez in this situation. In conclusion, Adana Demirspor, who should have finished the match with 3 red cards, finishing the match with 11 players, seemed to be evidence of what directives the referees had received.

Refereeing errors against Fenerbahçe are becoming more serious every week, a significant factor that diminishes the quality of the Super League. Urgent measures need to be taken regarding this issue.