If you asked most football fans where they expected Mohamed Salah to end up after leaving Liverpool most wouldn’t have guessed in Turkiye at Trabzonspor.
At the end of last season, Salah ended a nine-season stay at Anfield where he cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players in the club’s history. And the expectation was he’d either join Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League or follow Lionel Messi to the MLS.
Salah decided to continue in European football but with a club looking to get back to past glories under ambitious owners. He signed a lucrative two-year contract as a free agent and took on a leadership role at Papara Park.
Mohamed Salah Scores Again as Impressive Trabzonspor Form Continues
It’s been over two months since the Egyptian forward made the move, and it’s fair to say he’s made a big impression. He played his eleventh game on Monday when Trabzonspor hosted Besiktas in the Super Lig.
Salah has made a red-hot start to life in Turkiye, rolling back the years with inspired performances. He added another one to his list tonight, scoring in a 2-0 win over Besiktas to take his tally to eight goals in as many league games.
The veteran attacker produced a trademark left-footed finish as Trabzonspor sealed a big win that took them up to fourth in the Super Lig table. They now sit just three points behind leaders Galatasaray in a tightly-poised title race that Salah is having a massive impact on.
You can watch Salah’s goal vs Besiktas below:
Salah now sits top of the goalscoring charts and also kickstarted his new club’s UEFA Conference League campaign with a goal and assist in a 4-2 win over KuPS Kuopio last week. Not only have his team’s fans and owners been delighted with his start, but the Turkish media are also applauding the former Anfield hero.
Among the outlets to hail Salah’s performance against Besiktas were Fanatik whose headline read “Trabzonspor’s world-class star Mohammed Salah is unstoppable!” Delving into the match itself, they added that he “made a name for himself” and as one of Trabzonspor’s most important assets in the attacking line, once again demonstrated his impact in big matches.”
Sozcu commentator Erman Toroglu felt Salah should have been awarded Player of the Match rather than Manchester United loanee Andre Onana in goal, talking up “his greatness, his footballing ability” before saying “everyone is choosing Onana as man of the match. How does that happen? Did he save the shots coming from the moon? You’re choosing him as man of the match when Salah is there. You’re saying he could be chosen.”
Analysing Salah’s outing from a statistical standpoint, Fotospor wrote that fans are calling him a “gift from god.” They added:
“Salah achieved a high shooting percentage of 75%, hitting the target with 3 out of 4 shots throughout the match, and generated a remarkable 0.85 xG. His total xG+xA value of 0.96 proved that he was at the center of the most dangerous chances created by Trabzonspor.
There are many, especially in England, who believe Salah could and should still be playing his football for a major European competitor. His displays like the one against Besiktas explain just why.
About Author
