Sporting Braga 4 - 1 Fenerbahce: Braga turn the tables on eight-man Fenerbahce

Posted Friday, March 18, 2016 by PA

Braga turned the tables on eight-man Fenerbahce with a 4-1 victory to reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Braga faced an uphill task when Alper Potuk cancelled out Ahmed Hassan's opener just before half-time.

But the dismissal of Mehmet Topal, the goalscorer from the first leg, for a foul in the box proved to be the turning point.

Josue netted the 69th-minute penalty and five minutes later Nikola Stoiljkovic put the Portuguese side ahead in the tie for the first time.

Braga were still vulnerable as a second away goal would have changed the result but Rafa Silva eased the nerves with a fine fourth strike seven minutes from time.

There was still time for Fenebahce to implode as Potuk and Volkan Sen also saw red.

Braga were back on level terms in the tie after only 11 minutes. With Fenerbahce appealing in vain for offside, Hassan broke through and beat Volkan Demirel for his third goal in the Europa League this season.

Robin van Persie might have scored for the visitors with 17 minutes gone but was wasteful in front of goal.

However, just before half-time, Fenerbahce did find the all-important away goal. Van Persie's header hit Willy Boly but the ball fell for Potuk, who rifled it into the top corner.

Both sides missed chances in the opening stages of the second half, with Boly and Nani both missing the target.

But the game changed when Topal gave away a penalty and earned his second yellow card of the night.

Josue tucked away the penalty confidently, and it took Braga only five minutes to move ahead in the tie. Substitute Pedro Santos headed across the face of goal and Stoiljkovic was waiting at the far post.

Silva put the gloss on the night by skipping through the Fenerbahce defence to net the fourth.

With three minutes to go, Potuk was shown a straight red for a foul on Santos, and substitute Sen then picked up two yellow cards in injury time.