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Mohamed Salah scores twice on his first Turkish Super Lig start as Trabzonspor beat Istanbul Basaksehir 2-1 at Papara Park, opening his account for the club he joined on a free transfer from Liverpool. Two further Salah goals were disallowed, one for a foul in the build-up and one for offside. The win is Trabzonspor’s first of the season.
Trabzon, Turkey: Eight minutes was all it took.
Mohamed Salah closed down Basaksehir goalkeeper Muhammed Sengezer, dispossessed him, and got a shot away that went in off a deflection and the inside of the post. VAR checked it. The goal stood. The 34-year-old had his first for a club he joined this summer after nine years and 257 goals at Liverpool.
By full time he had two more, a booking for simulation, and the loudest afternoon any new signing in the Super Lig has had this season.
A Goalkeeping Error, Then a Penalty
Salah’s opener came from Sengezer’s failure to hold what should have been a routine catch, the Egyptian finishing on the swivel past three covering defenders.
Basaksehir were level within eleven minutes. VAR identified a handball by Chibuike Nwaiwu inside the area, and Eldor Shomurodov, the former Roma forward, converted from the spot in the 19th minute. It stayed 1-1 at the interval.
Three Minutes Into the Second Half
Salah settled it almost immediately after the restart, receiving the ball inside the penalty area and striking a first-time finish from around ten yards in the 48th minute.
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That was the winner, but not the end of his involvement. With eleven minutes remaining he went down in the box and was booked for simulation. In stoppage time he found the net twice more — once with a long-range effort into an empty net after the Basaksehir goalkeeper had gone forward for a corner, ruled out for offside, and once more with a goal disallowed for a foul in the build-up.
Four times in the net. Twice it counted. A hat-trick denied twice over.
From Anfield to the Black Sea
Salah left Liverpool as a free agent this summer after a nine-year spell that produced 257 goals. He had been widely expected to move to Saudi Arabia. Instead he signed a two-year deal at Trabzonspor, reportedly worth £280,000 a week.
This was his third appearance for the club — a substitute outing in the 1-1 draw at Kasimpasa on the opening weekend, a start in the Europa League play-off first leg against Ferencvaros, and now this.
What Comes Next
The win lifts Trabzonspor to four points and fourth in the Super Lig, two behind leaders Genclerbirligi. It is their first victory of the campaign.
More pressing is Thursday, when they travel to Budapest for the Europa League play-off second leg needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the home leg. Their next league fixture is against Amed SK on 31 August.
Score: Trabzonspor 2 (Mohamed Salah 8′, 48′) Istanbul Basaksehir 1 (Eldor Shomurodov 19′ pen)
Half-time: 1-1
Venue: Papara Park, Trabzon
