The second week of the UEFA Cups brought some magic for Turkish teams, with the exception, of course, being Beşiktaş's disappointing home loss to Lugano.
Fenerbahçe on Thursday secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Slovakia's Spartak Trnava in the UEFA Europa Conference League Group H's second game, extending their winning streak and further solidifying their dominance.
Away at Antona Malatinskeho Stadium, Fenerbahçe initiated the game with a firm grip on possession.
Throughout the first half, the Yellow Canaries dominated the opponent's half, but they struggled to create clear-cut opportunities, leading to a goalless draw as they headed into the halftime break.
The second half began on a somewhat shaky note for Fenerbahçe, but in the 63rd minute, Ismail Kartal made crucial substitutions, bringing in Mert Hakan Yandaş for Sebastian Szymanski, Miha Zajc for Fred Rodrigues and Rodrigo Becao for Alexander Djiku.
These changes bore fruit just seven minutes later when Fenerbahçe found the back of the net through Joshua King's strike.
King then repeated his heroics in the 81st minute with another goal, extending Fenerbahçe's lead to 2-0.
However, they could not prevent Ofori from scoring a consolation goal for the hosts in the 88th minute.
This victory not only marked Fenerbahçe's second consecutive win in the group but also extended their winning streak to an impressive 15 matches.
Fenerbahçe's head coach, Ismail Kartal, deserves credit for his strategic substitutions, which turned the tide of the game.
The hero of the night was undoubtedly Joshua King, the Norwegian sensation who single-handedly secured victory for his team.
With goals in consecutive matches, King has been in remarkable form, having also scored against Rizespor in the Süper Lig.
With his two goals against Spartak Trnava, the 31-year-old has now increased his European goal tally to three.
While they cruised past Zimbru 4-0 and Maribor 3-0 in the qualifiers and edged out Twente 1-0 in the playoffs, the Kadiköy-based side's first goal conceded on European soil came during this Spartak Trnava encounter.
In another match in Conference League Group D, Beşiktaş played host to Lugano from Switzerland, initially seizing a 2-0 advantage only to bottle it, resulting in a 3-2 defeat.
Beşiktaş, who previously settled for a 1-1 draw against Club Brugge in the group's opening game, seemed to be cruising when they went 2-0 ahead against Lugano.
However, they could not prevent Lugano from scoring three quick goals in just 10 minutes, resulting in their first defeat of the season in European competition.
Before this match, Beşiktaş had won all six of their previous qualifying games.
The third goal conceded by Beşiktaş led to strong protests from their fans.
Supporters directed their anger toward the club's management, and Beşiktaş players faced boos from their fans every time they touched the ball, while Lugano players received applause.
Chants of "You've ruined Beşiktaş" echoed from the stands as fans voiced their frustration with the management.
Subsequently, the Istanbul-based team convened a meeting that ultimately resulted in the dismissal of their coach, Şenol Güneş, on Friday.
Beşiktaş's star striker, Aboubakar, continued his impressive form in recent weeks with two goals against Lugano.
After a slow start to the league season, Aboubakar had previously netted goals against Kayserispor, Adana Demirspor and Konyaspor, and he added to his tally with goals in the 38th and 52nd minutes against Lugano. His consistency has been vital for Beşiktaş.
Aboubakar's double against Lugano also made him Beşiktaş's highest-scoring foreign player in European competitions, surpassing the likes of Ricardo Quaresma and Bobo.
With 13 goals, he now stands at the top of the list and is closing in on the all-time record of 14 goals held by Oktay Derelioğlu.
However, the match ended on a sour note for Beşiktaş as Valentin Rosier received his second yellow card in the 61st minute, leaving them with only 10 players on the field.
His suspension will see him miss the upcoming clash against Bodo Glimt.
In the final moments, Lugano's players celebrated their victory with their small contingent of fans, and their sportsmanship was evident as they applauded Beşiktaş supporters.
In the big one, Galatasaray orchestrated a stunning upset, toppling Manchester United 3-2 in a gripping Champions League Group A clash on Tuesday.
Argentine striker Mauro Icardi found redemption in the 81st minute, but his path to glory had been marked by a missed penalty earlier, a chance that could have given the Turkish team an earlier lead at the iconic Old Trafford.
Yet, when the moment of destiny arrived, Icardi showcased clinical precision, seizing upon Davinson Sanchez's header and elegantly lofting the ball beyond the grasp of United's goalkeeper, Andre Onana.
This heart-pounding contest marked United's sixth defeat in just 10 games this season, casting a shadow over their campaign and marking their second setback in the opening two matches of Group A in the Champions League.
Adding to the woes of United's manager, Erik ten Hag, his squad had taken the lead not once but twice, thanks to goals from Rasmus Hojlund in each half.
Yet, on both occasions, Galatasaray conjured rapid responses to level the playing field.
Hojlund ignited the scoring frenzy in the 17th minute, nodding in a header from close range to grant United an early lead.
However, the lead proved to be fleeting, as Wilfried Zaha fired back for Galatasaray in the 23rd minute, restoring parity.
Hojlund, the protagonist of the night, struck once more in the 67th minute.
Seizing on a loose ball gifted by Sergio Oliveira near the halfway line, he embarked on a dynamic solo run, culminating in a clinical finish past Galatasaray's goalkeeper, Fernando Muslera.
Yet again, Galatasaray refused to be subdued, with Kerem Akturkoglu swooping in to convert from inside the box, leveling the score once more just four minutes later.
Casemiro was shown the red card in the 76th minute after a challenge that brought down Dries Mertens in the box, awarding the visitors a crucial penalty, which Icardi quickly buried.
