Turkish giants, Fenerbahçe secured their spot in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round by defeating Lugano 2-1 in the second leg of their tie.

Following a 4-3 victory in the first leg, the Yellow Canaries completed the job with a decisive win at home.

In the match held at Ülker Stadium, Lugano took the lead in the seventh minute with a goal from Hadj Mahmoud.

Despite dominating early on, Lugano failed to capitalize on two additional scoring chances.

Fenerbahçe's Fred injured himself in the 26th minute and, despite receiving on-field treatment, was unable to continue, leading to his substitution by Ismail Yüksek in the 31st minute.

Fenerbahçe's first real chance came in the 41st minute, but Ferdi Kadıoğlu's effort went unanswered, leaving the first half with Lugano leading 1-0.

The hosts started the second half with greater urgency and improved their attacking play.

They created several set-piece opportunities and equalized in the 59th minute with a header from Edin Dzeko off a well-placed cross by Mert Hakan Yandaş.

Jose Mourinho's side continued to press and nearly took the lead in the 72nd minute when Çağlar Söyüncü's shot hit the post.

In the dying minutes of the match, Sebastian Szymanski scored, giving Fenerbahçe a 2-1 victory.

Edin Dzeko continued his impressive goal-scoring form this season.

After a hat trick in the first leg, the Bosnian star striker scored the crucial equalizer in the second leg, bringing his tally to four goals over the two matches.

Mourinho's halftime tactical change in substituting Rade Krunic with Mert Hakan Yandaş proved effective as it brought more fluidity on the pitch.

"The match was challenging. We conceded a goal early, and the situation was 4-4. After equalizing, we took control of the game. The contributions from the substitutes were valuable. The atmosphere was fantastic, and the fans supported us throughout," the Special One said.

"Winning each match is less important to me than progressing through the rounds. Today’s win is due to the efforts of my players and our fans. I congratulate the opposing team, they have a good coach and are well-organized. I wish them the best in the Europa League," he added.

Looking ahead, Mourinho said, "Football isn’t rocket science. Each player has unique attributes. En-Nesyri has not yet trained with the team. Fred’s situation is uncertain, and he might not be available for the next round. We will begin our preparation for the Lille match tomorrow. I have not analyzed Lille extensively yet, but we will start working on it after lunch. I understand the challenges Turkish teams face in Europe, and the same will apply to Lille."

Mourinho praised goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, stating, "Livakovic played a key role in preventing the score from reaching 2-0. He was crucial today. The team did not perform well in the first half, but improved in the second half. I can’t evaluate Krunic’s performance individually because we were not good in the first half. We needed to make a change at halftime. In the second half, we performed better with Ismail, Mert, and Szymanski in midfield."