Football United

Alex de Souza unlocked a stalemate with Kayserispor through a sublime free kick, which sparked two more goals - one from substitute Marcio Nobre and another from Nicolas Anelka for a 3-0 result.

Full concentration was given to this league encounter at home despite the prospect of PSV Eindhoven’s visit on Wednesday. Carrying on from the convincing performances against AC Milan and Beşiktaş, Christoph Daum kept the same tactic and line-up with Nicolas Anelka playing as a lone forward with Alex de Souza behind him and the midfield trio of Selçuk Şahin, Stephen Appiah and Marco Aurelio.

Kayseri began with a neutral approach, not closing up and defending but not taking wild risks at the Saracoğlu either.

Anelka was in the action immediately, claiming for a penalty in the eighth minute for what seemed to be an apparent foul just inside the area. Selçuk Dereli waved play on. Volkan Demirel was called into action in our goal in the 12th minute when he saved a top corner destined shot from Alexandr Iordanov.

Alex de Souza was getting a lot of the ball and linked up well with Tuncay Şanlı in the 15th minute, nearly burying his shot in the back of the net if it wasn’t for the Kayseri defence deflecting the shot. Appiah’s first time release of the rebound went high and wide. Alex’s diving header in the 23rd minute went wide.

The first half performance would bring a goal if repeated in the second half, but Kayseri switched to a defensive strategy which made things harder for our side. A number of long shots came bouncing off the opposition’s defence as we tried every way to unlock the resistance.

Nobre was on the field instead of Tuncay in the second half, creating more presence up front together with Anelka.

Anelka tried his luck with a long shot in the 62nd minute but Ivankov, playing a good game in goal, prevented the lead from doubling.

Alex was constantly being clattered when in possession, but he took out all his frustration with a curler into the top left hand corner with a free kick in the 74th minute.

Nobre got on the scoresheet thanks to Anelka’s square ball just before Ivankov intercepted in the 84th minute. Anelka then turned goalscorer, picking up a through ball from Alex and slipping the ball between the keeper’s legs in the final minute of the game.

Fenerbahçe: Volkan Demirel, Fabio Luciano, Ümit Özat, Önder Turacı, Serkan Balcı, Marco Aurelio, Stephen Appiah, Selçuk Şahin, Alex de Souza, Tuncay Şanlı, Nicolas Anelka

Kayserispor: Ivankov, Bülent, M.Hanifi, Ragıp, Gökhan, Yardanov, Sadigov, Johnson, Rodic, Kamber, Fatih

Goals: Alex 74, Nobre 84, Anelka 90+1

Turkish Superleague

Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Galatasaray 6 16
2. Fenerbahce 6 14
3. Erciyesspor 6 12
4. Kayserispor 6 12
5. Sivasspor 6 11

Source: fenerbahce.org