Having conceded first in each of their last five UEL fixtures, Fenerbahce aimed to make a statement in front of their home faithful against a Lyon outfit unbeaten in three away UEL outings this campaign.
Despite enjoying early possession, the hosts struggled to dictate the tempo, allowing Lyon to gain a foothold. Saïd Benrahma and Georges Mikautadze both came close in quick succession before Corentin Tolisso forced Irfan Egribayat into an excellent close-range save – the first major save of the evening.
As the game swung back and forth, the Yellow Canaries nearly struck late in the half when Youssef En-Nesyri squandered a chance off a long ball from Egribayat’s goal kick.
Moments later, tempers flared when Moussa Niakhate received a straight red card for a sliding challenge on Irfan Can Kahveci, only for referee Simone Sozza to overturn it to a yellow after deliberation, ensuring both sides went into the break at full strength.
Fenerbahce’s struggles only continued after half-time with Youssef En-Nesyri limited to just seven touches up to that point and seeing a close-range finish disallowed for handball early in the second half.
The visitors then ramped up their search for the potential winner, with Alexandre Lacazette and Rayan Cherki both testing their luck from range, setting up an eventful final 20 minutes.
As a result, Mourinho introduced Edin Dzeko, but it made little difference for Fenerbahce as both sides ultimately shared a point apiece at the end.
Lyon stand third in the UEL table, etching their place in the final 16 following a sixth unbeaten game in Europe’s second-tier tournament. However, Pierre Sage’s men remain winless since beating Montpellier in Ligue 1 in early January, with the draw marking their fourth straight winless outing across all competitions.
On the other hand, the story is bleak for Mourinho and company, as they linger just two points above their next opponents, FC Midtjylland, in what is now a do-or-die encounter to secure qualification.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Irfan Egribayat (Fenerbahce)