Fenerbahçe kicked off their Portuguese preseason tour on a winning note on Thursday, grinding out a 2-1 victory over Portimonense in a chippy friendly marked by tough tackles, constant whistles and a standout brace from Sebastian Szymanski.
Jose Mourinho’s side took control early at Portimao Stadium with Szymanski striking in the 20th minute to give the Yellow Canaries a 1-0 lead.
The Polish midfielder doubled the tally in the 62nd minute, capping off a swift counter and securing what proved to be the winner.
The match saw multiple interruptions due to Portimonense’s rugged style.
Referee intervention was frequent, as fouls mounted and tensions flared. Despite the preseason setting, yellow cards were shown and tempers tested.
Mourinho, overseeing his first summer at the helm, used the match to rotate heavily. Starting with a lineup featuring Irfan Can Eğribayat in goal and a defense led by Djiku and Oosterwolde, he introduced seven players across both halves – including debutants Diego Carlos, Cengiz Ünder, and English left-back Archie Brown, who started the match.
Brown, a recent signing from Belgium’s Gent, made a solid impression in his first 45 minutes.
"The project here is huge and the competition is real. That excites me," Brown told reporters postgame. “The welcome’s been incredible. I felt truly wanted – that’s what made the decision easy.”
Late in the match, Emirhan Arkutcu and Çağrı Fedai entered, but it was Portimonense who struck next, narrowing the deficit in the 90th minute through Tamble Monteiro’s well-placed header. Still, Fenerbahçe saw out the final minutes to secure the win.
Six senior players missed out: İsmail Yüksek was ruled out due to a knock in training, while Rodrigo Becao, Mert Hakan Yandaş, En-Nesyri, and Cenk Tosun continued recovery from injuries. Jhon Duran, the club’s newest addition, didn’t feature as he had just joined camp.
Ognjen Mimovic, returning from loan, also saw minutes in the second half – marking his first appearance in Fener colors.
