On a night filled with drama and intensity, Ghanaian defender Alexander Djiku stepped up with a moment of brilliance, but his efforts could not prevent Fenerbahce from falling to a 3-1 defeat against Rangers in the Europa League Round of 16 first-leg tie.

Fenerbahce’s hopes took an early hit when Cyriel Dessers put Rangers ahead in just the 7th minute. As if things couldn’t get worse, the Turkish side suffered a setback in the 16th minute when defender Çağlar Söyüncü was forced off due to injury. It was then that manager José Mourinho turned to Djiku, hoping to stabilize the defense.

Djiku did more than just defend—he electrified the crowd with an unexpected attacking spark. In the 30th minute, he found himself in a tight angle but showed his technical brilliance, rifling the ball past the Rangers’ goalkeeper to level the score.

However, Fenerbahce’s joy was short-lived. Just before halftime, Vaclav Cerny restored Rangers’ lead, ensuring the Scottish side went into the break ahead. The visitors dominated the second half, even having two goals disallowed before finally sealing the win in the 81st minute with Cerny completing his brace.

Despite Djiku’s moment of magic, Fenerbahce now faces an uphill battle in the second leg, needing a big performance in Scotland to keep their Europa League dreams alive.