fenerbahçe fightback thwarts az published: thursday 15 february 2007, 0.37cet
fenerbahçe sk 3-3 az alkmaar the turkish hosts claimed a uefa cup lifeline after coming from two goals down in istanbul to snatch a first-leg draw.
fenerbahçe sk threw themselves a uefa cup lifeline after coming from two goals behind midway through the second half to draw 3-3 with az alkmaar. tümer metin was the hero for the turkish side, his second strike on 75 minutes levelling the tie ahead of next week's meeting in the netherlands.
alkmaar ahead the visitors started the brighter and were rewarded with the opening goal after 15 minutes when maarten martens slid in demy de zeeuw and the midfielder fired in. the breakthrough sparked the home team into life and tümer restored parity 13 minutes later by hammering a 20-metre effort past boy waterman. but the game really came to life when the dutch outfit scored twice in as many minutes early in the second half.
double strike nourdin boukhari put az back in front with a rising left-footed drive on 62 minutes before julian jenner, who had replaced injured midfielder rogier molhoek in the first period, stunned the sükrü saraçoglu crowd by drilling a low shot past volkan demirel from the edge of the area. zico's men crucially reduced arrears within four minutes, though, with tuncay sanli sweeping home from 12 metres to set up a frantic finish.
saviour tümer gijs luirink made a goalline clearance to stop alex's corner flying directly into the alkmaar net before louis van gaal's team finally succumbed to the hosts' fightback. tümer again let fly from distance and waterman could only watch as the strike rifled past him to keep fenerbahçe hopes alive.
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