Fenerbahçe, the reigning champion of the Turkish Cup, suffered a stunning defeat, crashing out of the tournament in the quarterfinals with a 3-0 loss to Ankaragücü.
The match, held at Eryaman Stadium, saw Ankaragücü secure victory with goals from Olimpiu Morutan and Anastasios Chatzigovanis in the first half, followed by a goal from Garry Rodrigues in the second half.
The loss marked the end of Fenerbahçe’s cup journey in the quarterfinals, while Ankaragücü advanced to the semifinals.
Notably, this defeat ended Fenerbahçe’s 17-match unbeaten streak.
The last time they tasted defeat was a humiliating 6-1 loss at the hands of Nordsjaelland in the UEFA Europa Conference League back in November.
Following that, the Yellow Canaries played 14 matches in the Süper Lig, two in the Turkish Cup, and 1 in Europe, winning 14 and drawing three.
This defeat also marked Fenerbahçe’s first loss in 2024.
Prior to this match, they had played 12 official matches in the new year, winning 10 and drawing twice.
The defeat also ended Fenerbahçe’s 12-match scoring streak.
Their last goalless match was against Galatasaray in the league on Dec. 24.
However, besides the Istanbul side’s disappointing night, their fans directed abusive chants toward their former player and coach, Emre Belözoğlu.
Despite this, Belözoğlu remained composed and nodded in response to the taunts before heading straight to the dressing room after the match.
This season also marks the third time that Fenerbahçe has been eliminated from the Turkish Cup under the management of İsmail Kartal.
They were knocked out in the semifinals by Bursaspor in the 2014-2015 season and in the round of 16 by Kayserispor in the 2021-2022 season.
On the other hand, Ankaragücü have once again reached the semifinals of the Cup, repeating their feat from last season.
After a 23-year gap, they reached the semifinals last season and have repeated the achievement this season.
Interestingly, Ankaragücü’s victory in the quarterfinals serves as revenge for Emre Belözoğlu, who, as the coach of Başakşehir last year, lost to Fenerbahçe in the final.
This time, as the coach of Ankaragücü, he has knocked out his former team in the quarterfinals.
This victory comes as a much-needed morale boost for Ankaragücü, who have struggled in the Süper Lig, failing to win their last five matches.
The team currently sits just a single point above the relegation zone, making this cup victory all the more significant in halting their poor run of form.
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