Salah scores hat-trick as Trabzonspor defeats Galatasaray 4-0 in Turkish league

First-half dominance by Trabzonspor

Trabzonspor earned a 4-0 victory against defending league champions Galatasaray in the sixth round of the Turkish Super Lig on Saturday. The hosts took the lead in the fourth minute of play when Mustafa Eskihellac delivered a forward pass to Mohamed Salah, who progressed through the opposing defense and finished past goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir. Trabzonspor sustained their attacking pressure throughout the opening period, adding a second goal in the 39th minute when former Vitoria SC forward Noah Saviolo placed a low shot into the net from an assist provided by Salah.

Five minutes later, Franculino Dju provided the pass for Salah to score his second goal in the 44th minute, establishing a 3-0 lead prior to the interval. Dju previously had an effort disallowed for offside during the opening period. Galatasaray created an opportunity to respond before the break, but defender Ismail Jakobs struck the crossbar with his attempt.

Second-half dismissals and disciplinary action

Trailing by three goals at the interval, Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk altered his lineup by replacing former FC Porto forward Deniz Gul, who had limited impact in the first half, with Baris Yilmaz. The tactical substitution brought slight possession improvements for the visitors, but Galatasaray continued to encounter difficulties creating scoring opportunities against a compact defensive structure.

Disciplinary penalties further disrupted Galatasaray during the closing stages of the match. Buruk received a red card and was expelled from the technical area in the 72nd minute. The visiting side was subsequently reduced to ten players on the pitch in the 87th minute when midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu received a straight red card following a video assistant referee review.

Salah completes hat-trick and squad rotation

Salah completed his hat-trick in the 80th minute, securing his third goal of the match to extend Trabzonspor's lead to 4-0. The home side managed their lineup by making several substitutions during the second half, withdrawing Franculino Dju in the 59th minute and Saviolo in the 73rd minute. Sidny Lopes Cabral entered the match in the 73rd minute to replace Saviolo, while defender Wagner Pina completed the full 90 minutes.

For Galatasaray, Portuguese forward Rafael Leao remained on the field until the final whistle, whereas Renato Nhaga was an unused substitute on the bench. The result ended Galatasaray's unbeaten domestic run, marking their first defeat of the league campaign following four consecutive Turkish league titles.

Saturday results across the Super Lig

The sixth round of the Turkish championship featured three other fixtures on Saturday. Istanbul Basaksehir recorded a 4-0 home victory against Genclerbirligi, matching Trabzonspor's four-goal winning margin. Kocaelispor secured a 2-0 win over Gaziantep, while Alanyaspor earned a 2-1 away victory against Corum.