Trabzonspor beat Basaksehir 2-1 as Salih Malkocoglu strikes twice

Trabzonspor defeated Basaksehir 2-1 in the second round of the Turkish league, with Salih Malkocoglu scoring both of his side’s goals in a match that also featured a penalty, a VAR decision and three late incidents involving the forward.

Malkocoglu opened the scoring after Trabzonspor had already gone close. Basaksehir’s goalkeeper produced an important save from the striker, while another effort was cleared off the line before the breakthrough.

The opening goal was initially subject to a review by the video assistant referee, but the decision eventually confirmed Trabzonspor’s advantage.

Basaksehir were given the opportunity to respond in the 17th minute when a handball was spotted inside the penalty area. Eldor Shomurodov converted from the spot two minutes later to restore parity.

The visitors’ goalkeeper remained heavily involved before the interval, making another excellent save from Malkocoglu’s shot in the 31st minute. He then denied the same player again in the 40th minute, ensuring the teams went into half-time level.

Malkocoglu completed his double shortly after the restart. In the 48th minute, he exchanged passes with Ernest Muci inside the penalty area before finding the net again to put Trabzonspor back in front.

Basaksehir were unable to equalise, although the closing stages produced further controversy around Malkocoglu. He was booked in the 78th minute for allegedly going to ground in an attempt to win a penalty.

In added time, a strike by Malkocoglu was ruled out in the 92nd minute because of a foul. Two minutes later, another effort from the forward was disallowed for offside.

Despite those late interventions, Trabzonspor held on to secure a 2-1 victory over Basaksehir. The result was decided by Malkocoglu’s two finishes, while Shomurodov’s penalty was the only response from the visitors.

The match had begun with Trabzonspor pressing for an early advantage. A goal-line clearance prevented Malkocoglu from scoring during the opening stages, before the forward eventually broke the deadlock following the VAR review.

Basaksehir’s penalty and Shomurodov’s subsequent equaliser changed the momentum, but Trabzonspor continued to create opportunities. Their persistence was rewarded soon after half-time when Muci combined with Malkocoglu for the decisive second goal.

The victory concludes a game in which Trabzonspor twice found the net through Malkocoglu, while Basaksehir’s goalkeeper repeatedly kept his team in contention. Late disallowed goals ensured the final minutes remained eventful, but Trabzonspor ultimately finished the second-round contest with all three points.