Fenerbahçe manager Jose Mourinho had a clear message for Rangers after his side's 3-1 Europa League defeat in Istanbul: the tie is far from over.
Despite the Scottish club taking a commanding first-leg lead in the round of 16, Mourinho insisted his team still had a fighting chance heading into next week's return fixture in Glasgow.
Rangers made a dream start at Ülker Stadium, striking early through Cyriel Dessers in the sixth minute.
Fenerbahçe responded in the 30th minute when Alexander Djiku's header leveled the score, giving the Turkish giants hope.
However, the visitors stunned the home crowd just before halftime, as Vaclav Cerny restored Rangers' lead in the 42nd minute.
Pushing for an equalizer in the second half, Fenerbahçe poured forward but failed to capitalize on their chances.
They were punished in the 81st minute when Cerny struck again, exposing gaps in the Turkish side's defense to make it 3-1.
Rangers could have won by an even bigger margin, with Dessers twice finding the net in the second half, only for both goals to be ruled out for offside after VAR checks.
Never one to mince words, the Special One was brutally honest in his post-match assessment.
"I think it's not fair to say we were very bad in defense because we were very bad everywhere," he told reporters. "Maybe you laugh, but for me, it was a good result, because the way we performed, the score could have been much worse."
Despite the poor display, the Portuguese tactician refused to concede defeat in the tie.
"Is it over? No, I don't think it's over. There are still 90 or 120 minutes to play. From this game, I take no positives – everything went wrong. But my only advice to Rangers is: don't celebrate too much. There's still another match to play."
Interim manager Barry Ferguson, who recently took over following Philippe Clement's departure, was cautious in his reaction to the result.
"There's no way this tie is over," Ferguson said. "It was a great result for us tonight, but it's only halftime. Mourinho has players who are really dangerous and can change a game in an instant. It would be foolish to think we're already in the quarterfinals."
Fenerbahçe suffered another blow when defender Çağlar Söyüncü was forced off early with an injury.
The Turkish international went down in the 14th minute, receiving treatment before being replaced by Djiku two minutes later.
His availability for the second leg remains uncertain.
Thursday's loss marked a rare defensive lapse for Fenerbahçe, who had not conceded three goals in a match for 25 straight games.
The last time they allowed three goals in a European fixture was against AZ Alkmaar. This was also the first time in their 2023-24 European campaign that Fenerbahçe conceded three goals at home.
This was Fenerbahçe's first defeat against Rangers in their third-ever meeting.
The sides last clashed in the 2001-02 Champions League qualifiers, with Fenerbahçe progressing to the group stage after a 2-1 home win following a goalless draw in Glasgow.
Fenerbahçe now face an uphill battle in Scotland on March 13.
If Mourinho's men are to pull off a dramatic comeback, they will need a significantly improved performance in Glasgow.
Rangers, meanwhile, will be wary of the threat Fenerbahçe poses, knowing that the tie is far from settled.
