October 13
The conversation in Trabzon has shifted from merely discussing a strong start to marveling at a new goal-scoring phenomenon bearing a name beloved by every Egyptian. All eyes are on Egyptian star Mohamed Salah, who has rapidly become an icon among Trabzonspor fans. He now prepares for a new challenge: scoring his first European goal in the team's claret-and-blue jersey against the Finnish side KuPS Kuopio.
Salah (34) enters this match sitting atop the Turkish Süper Lig’s goal-scoring charts with seven goals—a meteoric start that few had anticipated. In just the first seven weeks, the Egyptian star has directly contributed to 10 of the 16 goals scored by Trabzonspor, netting seven himself and providing three assists, thereby establishing himself as the most dangerous attacking weapon in the squad.
The match against KuPS Kuopio holds special significance for Salah, as it marks his third European appearance in a Trabzonspor shirt. He previously played in the Europa League qualifying play-off ties against Hungary’s Ferencváros, featuring for the full 90 minutes in the home leg—which his team lost 1–0—and for 64 minutes in the return leg, which ended in a crushing 4–0 defeat away from home.
Despite his extensive European experience—having scored 50 goals in the Champions League, 4 in its qualifying rounds, and 10 in the Europa League throughout his career—he is still seeking his first continental goal for Trabzonspor.
Salah’s goal-scoring journey with the team began on the bench; he made his debut in the 58th minute against Kasımpaşa before exploding into form against Başakşehir—a match he started—by scoring a brace that secured a 2–1 victory for his team.
He continued his habit of finding the net against Amed Sportif and then raised his tally to four goals by converting a penalty against Gençlerbirliği. He reached a peak by scoring a historic hat-trick in the derby against Galatasaray, tying with Amed Sportif’s Urban as the league's top scorer with seven goals.
This impressive form did not go unnoticed by the global press; Al Jazeera aired a special report highlighting that Salah had broken a record by directly contributing to 10 goals in his first seven league matches. Meanwhile, the English newspaper *Liverpool Echo* spotlighted his remarkable performance, noting his hat-trick and assist in the Galatasaray derby, as well as the assist he provided for his teammate Francolino during the away match against Samsunspor.
On a team level, statistics revealed a peculiar scoring trend for Trabzonspor this season: the team scored 75% of its goals in the first half—12 out of 16 goals. This breakdown included five goals in the opening 15 minutes, two between the 16th and 30th minutes, and five between the 31st and 45th minutes, resulting in an average of 2.29 goals per match. Conversely, the team did not score any goals between the 46th and 60th minutes, netting only two between the 61st and 75th minutes, and another two during stoppage time.
Trabzon’s excellence was not limited to the attack; it extended to the defense as well. The team conceded just five goals across seven matches—three in the first half and two in the second—reflecting great cohesion in the defensive line and the outstanding performance of goalkeeper Onana, who played a pivotal role in this defensive solidity.
