Fenerbahçe's Tollhaus holds Roma's attack despite early goal

On 10 September 2026, Fenerbahçe Istanbul met AS Roma at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in the opening of the Champions League league phase. An early equaliser just before half‑time silenced the home fans, but the team immediately levelled after the restart and the match ended 1‑1.

The home fans of Istanbul produced a loud ticker signal that filled the stadium, while the information board displayed the line‑ups of both clubs. In the first minutes the game remained relatively calm, but the fans' mood rose as the teams ventured their first moves. The clubs presented an intense duel that the fans followed with enthusiasm.

First Goal and Turning Point

Bryan Cristante put Roma ahead in the 39th minute with a right‑footed shot to make it 1‑0, an equaliser that silenced the home fans just before half‑time. The goal came after a cross from Donyell Malen that Cristante met in the penalty area. A short pass from a teammate opened the first turning point of the duel.

After the restart, Mason Greenwood took advantage of the game by playing the ball to Archie Brown, who scored the equaliser with a chip in the 48th minute. The equaliser came only a few minutes after the break and immediately brought the team back into the game. Thus the match was level again.

Nathan Aké tried the Lucky Punch in the 87th minute but hit the crossbar, while a shot from Vedat Muriqi narrowly missed the goal. Aké, the young defender, remained active despite missing the target. The fans watched the further action with anticipation.

Points Distribution and Outlook

The result was a draw, so both clubs earned one point each in the table and were therefore in the middle of the league. The team statistics show that both sides created few chances in the first ten minutes, while the second half was characterised by intense duels. All matches of the league phase now start with similar excitement. De appears in the post‑match report.

Fenerbahçe travels on Wednesday, 14 October, to Aston Villa, while Roma host Real Madrid on the same day. These fixtures mark the next step in the Champions League league phase and give both teams the chance to improve their position in the table. The fans expect more exciting duels. AP is mentioned in the report.