Salah makes his debut in Trabzon's draw

Egyptian Mohamed Salah made his debut for his new club, Trabzonspor, the day before yesterday, coming on against Kasımpaşa in the opening round of the Turkish Süper Lig. Salah started the match on the bench before being brought on in the 58th minute by the coaching staff, replacing Mitjan Mimaroglu, when the score was tied at 1-1. Trabzonspor had taken a 1-0 lead into halftime thanks to a goal by Noah Savinho in the 43rd minute, before Kasımpaşa equalized through Polish striker Adrian Benedyczak from a penalty kick in the 56th minute. Salah did not need much time to threaten the opposition’s goal, missing a dangerous chance in the 66th minute before delivering a free kick four minutes later that was headed away by veteran defender Stefan Savic, with Kasımpaşa goalkeeper Andreas Gianniotis struggling to keep it out. Trabzonspor marks Salah’s sixth stop in European football, following his spells with Swiss side Basel, English clubs Chelsea and Liverpool, and Italian teams Fiorentina and Roma. After the match, Trabzonspor head coach Fatih Terim said his team was not at its best during the encounter, expressing disappointment after losing two points at the start of the new Turkish league season. Terim noted that the coaching staff had warned players about their lack of readiness before kickoff and discussed Salah’s impact on the team’s performance, stating, “The team’s style of play changes slightly with the Egyptian star present compared to his absence,” and emphasizing that the team needed to finish the game earlier. Terim pointed out that his side showed some shortcomings, explaining that players required more enthusiasm and concentration, and that the mistakes made were a primary reason for dropping two crucial points. He considered the next five matches to be of great importance for his team, especially as Trabzon prepares for a strong European fixture next Thursday, followed by another tough clash against Başakşehir.