Sports Writers React to Fenerbahçe’s Commanding Win Over Rizespor

Faik Çetiner: “Welcome Fred” | It’s clear that Fred is the heart of the team. Fenerbahçe shines with him, but struggles without him. Fenerbahçe fans should pray they never have to be without Fred. The best summary of the dominant Rizespor match would be, “Welcome Fred.” (FANATİK)

Cem Dizdar: “Left Them Helpless” | Fenerbahçe left one of the tough teams in the league helpless, winning by a large margin, and in doing so, they sent a strong message to the teams they’ll face in the coming weeks! (FANATİK)

Serkan Akcan: “Fred’s Return” | Since Fred arrived, he has truly transformed Fenerbahçe. In his absence, the level of play drops significantly, but his presence changes the entire team. In Rize, he delivered a real masterclass, scoring his first career hat-trick, not just playing but inspiring the whole team. (FANATİK)

Gürcan Bilgiç: “Jose Mourinho Lit the Torch” | For the first time this season, we saw the game that the fans have longed for and expected from Mourinho. They pressed forward boldly. The Portuguese coach said, “We’re not physically ready.” But in Rize, where they came after a week of rest, they played tough and didn’t allow transitions. The class of Fred, the industriousness of İsmail, and the tempo of Szymanski were what held the game and brought the scoreline to a blowout. We saw the center-backs pressing high, not waiting in the back. The pieces are falling into place. In the coming weeks, we will be talking about the speed of the game. (SABAH)

Ömer Üründül: “Showed Their Greatness in the Second Half” | In the tough opening phase, Fenerbahçe took the lead with a shot from Fred that took a strange path. Even though they weren’t entirely comfortable, they controlled the game. Dzeko missed an opportunity to score a second goal in this half. Fenerbahçe started the second half with more confidence, showing that they are a great team. Then, with Dzeko’s classy goal from a tight angle, they doubled the lead. After that, Rizespor completely gave up, and Fenerbahçe scored goal after goal. Fred completed his hat-trick. In the end, they secured three points with a big win, which was also a morale boost for Mourinho. (SABAH)

Uğur Meleke: “Mourinho Met the Reality of the Süper Lig“ | The issue with Mourinho during the Göztepe match wasn’t that he couldn’t hold onto a 2-0 lead, in my opinion. The real problem was that he tried so desperately to protect it. After the 60th minute, he completely shut down his team. For 30 minutes, they just sat back. In Turkey, a big team doesn’t play like this. In İzmir, you don’t act like a small team just to protect a 2-0 lead. You can’t. I believe yesterday was Mourinho’s day to meet the reality of the Süper Lig. Because Fenerbahçe’s 65-year-old character in the Süper Lig is to keep pushing after a 2-0 or 3-0 lead, not to step back. And that’s what they did yesterday. (HÜRRİYET)

Uzay Gökerman: “Fenerbahçe’s Central Midfield” | From the start of the season, Fenerbahçe has been focusing on establishing a new system without Ferdi. What does this mean? It means reducing the effectiveness of the wings and crowding the central area to build the game. Within this setup, Szymanski becomes a very important and key player. Last year, the Polish player was much closer to the goal and at the heart of the goal-scoring opportunities, but now he is playing in the third zone, actively pressing and directing the game. Fred, who covers both halves of the pitch as an 8, increases Szymanski’s effectiveness logarithmically; meanwhile, İsmail, by winning balls in the 6 position, ensures the security of the 8 and 10 roles. Yesterday, İsmail won eight out of ten duels and finished the game with a very high pass accuracy of 65/70. In an environment where the center is so effective and productive, it’s clear that not much should be expected from the wings. Fred’s high shooting accuracy, finishing the match with three goals, was the key factor in Fenerbahçe’s dominant win. (MİLLİYET)

Ercan Güven: “That Fenerbahçe, This Fenerbahçe” | It seems that Fenerbahçe’s championship train is now on track. Anyone who can keep up, go ahead. But neither Fenerbahçe nor Mourinho had the right to derail on the track with wheels bouncing on the ties.