Mohamed Salah scores twice on Turkish super lig debut for trabzonspor

Mohamed Salah’s goal-scoring prowess remains undiminished as he marked his first Turkish Super Lig start with a brace for Trabzonspor, continuing a remarkable tradition of opening-day strikes that once electrified Liverpool fans.

Salah, who departed Liverpool during the summer transfer window, immediately made his presence felt in Turkey. After two goalless outings—his debut as a substitute against Kasimpasa and a full 90 minutes in Thursday’s Europa League qualifier against Ferencvaros—the Egyptian superstar broke his duck just eight minutes into Sunday’s clash with Istanbul Basaksehir. Capitalizing on a spilled save near the six-yard box, Salah instinctively shot on the turn; the ball struck the post but crossed the line despite frantic defensive attempts to clear it.

This goal echoed a familiar pattern for Salah, who famously opened Liverpool seasons with a flurry of goals since his arrival in 2017. He scored on his debut, repeated the feat in 2018 and 2019, and delivered a memorable hat trick in 2020. Further opening-day goals followed in 2021 and 2022, making him the Premier League’s all-time leader with 10 goals on season openers—surpassing legends like Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney who sit on eight.

Salah’s second goal against Basaksehir was a testament to his exquisite technique. After a slick one-two with a teammate, he found himself at a sharp angle inside the six-yard box and expertly curled the ball home with his trademark left foot. He narrowly missed a hat trick when a long-range effort found the net, only to be ruled out for a tight offside call.

Trabzonspor secured a 2-1 victory, a result contrasting sharply with Liverpool’s own opening-day struggles. The Reds managed just a 2-2 draw at Newcastle, salvaged by a late penalty from Dominik Szoboszlai—an opportunity that might once have been seized by Salah himself.

Salah’s seamless transition to Turkish football underlines his enduring quality and goal-scoring instinct. While Liverpool’s season has started on a more uncertain note, the Egyptian King is already scripting a new chapter of brilliance far from Anfield. Trabzonspor’s triumph and Salah’s double serve as a stark reminder of what Liverpool parted with prematurely last summer.