Fenerbahce squandered a two-goal lead at home to draw 2-2 with Slavia Prague in the Champions League on Tuesday night, with substitute Pavel Kacor striking in the 89th minute to earn the Czech side a point, VAVEL reports.
The Turkish giants made a dream start at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium: Oguz Aydin put them ahead in the fourth minute from a Milan Skriniar assist, and Mason Greenwood doubled the lead in the 11th minute after good work from Nelson Semedo, according to Bundesliga.com's live ticker. But a costly error from Matteo Guendouzi near his own box allowed Lukas Provod to pull one back in the 15th minute.
Slavia grew into the contest after the break and their persistence was rewarded in the dying moments when Kacor converted a cross from the flank. Both clubs remain winless in the competition, though Slavia earned their first point of the campaign while Fenerbahce missed out on three valuable ones.
The result sparked a backlash against Spanish referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoechea in the Turkish media, with Fanatik claiming a clear penalty was denied to the hosts. Fenerbahce must now regroup quickly if they are to stay in contention for a play-off place in the league phase.
The draw keeps both sides winless in the competition and intensifies the pressure on their remaining fixtures. Fenerbahce had drawn 1-1 with Roma in September before their 6-0 humbling at Aston Villa, according to TelecomAsia, while Slavia opened with a 3-2 home defeat to Lens — so this was a missed opportunity for both. The Turkish media's fury at referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoechea, with Fanatik claiming a clear 19th-minute penalty was denied when Nathan Ake was pulled in the box, will only add to the sense of frustration in Istanbul.