After a 2-1 defeat in France and a narrow 1-0 win over Adana Demirspor in the league, I was pessimistic about the second leg against Lille. As I headed to the stadium, I had doubts—could we advance, or would we stumble? Kadıköy was packed. With tremendous support from the stands, Fenerbahçe stormed into the match. The high press was incredibly effective. Dzeko, Mert Hakan, Szymanski, and Maximin all had clear chances and powerful shots, but Lille’s goalkeeper Chevalier was outstanding.

Fenerbahçe’s inability to score in the first half was a huge misfortune. The Yellow-Navy Blues came out strong again in the second half, but the high-intensity play started to take its toll, and fatigue set in. Mourinho took a risk in the 60s, entrusting the center of midfield only to Ismail and making Nesyri-Dzeko the striker. Later, İrfan Can Kahveci and Cenk were also brought on. But Lille managed to slow the game down significantly, with players spending a lot of time on the ground. The situation worsened when objects were thrown at their goalkeeper from the stands. In the 82nd minute, Osayi's shot hit the post.

Finally, the long-awaited goal came in the 91st minute when Oosterwolde’s long throw-in deflected off the Lille defense and into the net. We went to extra time. Just as it seemed the match would go to penalties, the referee's decision to award a penalty spoiled the plans. A handball by Oosterwolde in the penalty area led to a spot-kick, which Lille converted. It was a heartbreaking outcome for Fenerbahçe.