By Fatih Erel 

ISTANBUL 

Turkey's Fenerbahce beat Russia's Zenit 1-0 in the first leg game of the round of 32 in UEFA Europa League on Tuesday. 

In the match at Ulker Stadium in Istanbul, Turkish club gained advantage before the second-leg in Russia.

Fenerbahce's Slimani scored the goal on the 21st minute.

Zenit missed a penalty shot before the break on the 45th minute as Fenerbahce goalkeeper Harun Tekin saved Mak’s penalty shot. 

In Turkish league, the struggling Yellow Canaries have been suffering the worst season in their history, with only five wins in 21 outings. 

Fenerbahce are now in the 14th place and a distant 23 points away from the top spot while Zenit are at the top of Russian league with 34 points.

The second leg will be played on Feb. 21 in St. Petersburg, Russia.