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Mourinho's Fenerbahce on Verge of Champions League Return!
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13 Aug 2025
José Mourinho's Fenerbahce is just one step away from crashing back into the Champions League after a thrilling 5-2 comeback win over Feyenoord. They overturned a two-goal deficit and secured a 6-4 aggregate victory. Next up? A playoff against Benfica, the club where Mourinho got his first head coaching gig 25 years ago. The first leg in Istanbul sets the stage for their return, with the decisive match later in Lisbon.
Benfica secured their spot in the playoffs by besting Nice 2-0 at home, following a smooth 2-0 away victory in France. This marks an intriguing twist, as Mourinho takes on his old stomping grounds. Meanwhile, Fenerbahce's arch-nemesis, Galatasaray, has also secured a draw by being crowned Turkish champions. All eyes are on Fenerbahce's long-awaited Champions League comeback since their last group stage appearance in 2008-09.
Over in Scotland, Russell Martin is having a moment. Rangers moved past Viktoria Plzen with a narrow 4-2 aggregate, but after a rocky 2-1 loss, Martin expressed frustrations with too many 'scary moments' and sloppy defending. Next up for Rangers is a playoff against Club Brugge. Can they hold it together for the big leagues amidst the pressure from fans and lackluster league start?
The Champions League playoff paths keep intensifying: Cyprus' Pafos bested Dynamo Kyiv to face Red Star Belgrade, the 1991 European Cup winners. Meanwhile, Copenhagen demolished Malmö 5-0 and will clash with Swiss champs Basel. Karaog's 6-1 aggregate win against Shkendija sees them take on Ferencvaros. And with Kairat Almaty's nail-biting penalty shootout victory against Slovan Bratislava, they'll now face a daunting trip to Scotland to play Celtic. The football world waits as these gladiators gear up for the battlefield of high-stakes matches. Game on!
