Salah opens Trabzonspor account after Istanbul Basaksehir goal-line drama

Mohamed Salah scored his first goal for Trabzonspor in a dramatic opening against Istanbul Basaksehir, with video evidence confirming that his effort had crossed the line before the ball was cleared.

The 34-year-old Egypt forward struck in the eighth minute to give Trabzonspor the lead, registering his first goal since moving to Turkey and ending the wait for his first contribution in front of goal for the club.

Salah’s goal initially appeared uncertain. His shot struck the post and was then cleared by Christopher Operi, leaving doubt over whether the ball had crossed the line. Video images subsequently showed that the entire ball had already gone over the line, allowing the goal to stand and Salah to celebrate.

The goal came three days after Salah made his first start for Trabzonspor. He had previously begun his time in Turkey on the bench, making his debut as a substitute in last weekend’s match against Kasımpasa.

He was then named in the starting line-up for the first time on Thursday, when Trabzonspor faced Ferencvaros. Three days later, he retained his place against Istanbul Basaksehir and made an immediate impact by opening the scoring.

Salah joined Trabzonspor at the beginning of the month after nine seasons with Liverpool, during which he scored 257 goals. His move to Turkey began with a substitute appearance at Kasımpasa before he was handed a starting role against Ferencvaros.

The strike against Istanbul Basaksehir represented his first goal for his new club and his first since arriving in Turkey. Although the finish required a review of the incident to confirm it, the images ultimately allowed Salah to claim the milestone.

The goal also provided an early highlight in his developing Trabzonspor career after the Egypt international had been introduced gradually following his transfer. His move from Liverpool had brought an immediate focus on when he would first start and score for the Turkish club.

That moment arrived in his second consecutive start. Salah’s attempt was initially met by confusion after it rebounded from the post and was sent away by Operi, but the subsequent video showed that the ball had crossed the line before the defender’s clearance.

As a result, Salah was officially credited with the opening goal against Istanbul Basaksehir, completing his first scoring moment for Trabzonspor and giving him a landmark occasion in the early stages of his career in Turkey.