Mohamed Salah cameo lifts Trabzonspor but Kasımpasa earn opening-day draw

Mohamed Salah was praised by Turkish newspapers for making an immediate impact on his Trabzonspor debut, although his second-half appearance could not prevent a 1-1 draw with Kasımpasa.

The Egypt captain began the Turkish Super Lig match on the substitutes’ bench before Trabzonspor manager Fatih Tekke brought him on in the 58th minute, replacing Metehan Mimaroglu. It was Salah’s first official appearance in a Trabzonspor shirt.

Trabzonspor took the lead through Noah Saviolo, but Kasımpasa levelled from the penalty spot to ensure the points were shared.

Salah’s introduction attracted considerable attention in the Turkish media. Sabah described his performance as striking, highlighting the immediate influence he had after coming on despite Trabzonspor being unable to protect their advantage.

“Mohamed Salah is causing a stir at Trabzonspor! He amazed everyone in his first match. In the first week of the Turkish Super Lig, Trabzonspor played away against Kasımpasa and Salah’s performance was impressive,” the newspaper wrote.

Sabah also reported that Salah had drawn significant attention from supporters before kick-off. With the score still level, Trabzonspor fans chanted in support of the former Liverpool forward.

Star similarly focused on the change in Trabzonspor’s attacking play after Salah entered the match. It said his arrival restored momentum to the attack, but his contribution was not enough to secure victory.

Fanatik highlighted several moments in which Salah demonstrated his quality. He met a cross from Mustafa Eskihellac at the far post but shot wide, before creating another opportunity from the right with a delivery that Paul Onuachu was unable to control properly.

Writing for Hurriyet, Mehmet Ayan said Salah’s arrival made the match more attractive and entertaining.

“After Kasımpasa equalised from the penalty spot, Trabzonspor made its ‘historic’ move: Mohamed Salah, who came on as a substitute in the 58th minute, added more excitement to the match. Even when he was not in a goalscoring position or in possession of the ball, he posed a real threat… But when the ball was at his feet, his performance was astonishing,” he wrote.

Ayan pointed to a dangerous effort from an angle in the 77th minute as further evidence of Salah’s influence.

“His shot from an angled position in the 77th minute created a dangerous chance. Of course, he needs some time to adapt to his team-mates, but there is no doubt about his contribution to making the match entertaining,” he added.

A separate Fanatik tactical analysis said Salah helped Trabzonspor increase the speed of both its organised attacks and counter-attacks.

It noted that Salah’s missed chance at the far post was similar to the move that produced the goal. He started on the right wing before moving into a central playmaker’s role, a decision influenced by weaknesses in the opposition defence.

“Nevertheless, we can say that with Salah’s arrival, Trabzonspor increased its speed in open play and counter-attacks,” Fanatik said.

The publication judged the result to be an initially disappointing outcome for a revamped Trabzonspor side, but described Salah’s impact as a highly promising sign for the future.