Salah's hat-trick powers Trabzonspor to a stunning win over Galatasaray
Trabzonspor routed Galatasaray at home, leading 4-0 through the 80th minute of the Süper Lig clash, with Mohamed Salah scoring a hat-trick, while Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk was sent off.
The match
On September 19, Trabzonspor hosted Galatasaray at Papara Park stadium in the 6th round of Turkey's Süper Lig. According to Fanatik's live coverage, the hosts made a fast start: Egyptian star Mohamed Salah opened the scoring in the 4th minute after capitalizing on a defensive lapse following a Galatasaray throw-in. By half-time Trabzonspor led 3-0 — Salah set up Noah Saviolo's goal in the 39th minute, then scored his second personal goal in the 44th. The margin kept growing in the second half, and in the 80th minute Salah completed his hat-trick, making it 4-0, as reported by Fanatik's live blog. During the match, in the 72nd minute, Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk was sent off after receiving a second yellow card.
Salah's records
According to Hürriyet, citing Opta statistics, Salah became the first Egyptian player to score in a match between these two clubs. He is also reportedly the first foreign player since the 2000/01 season to score in each of his first three home appearances for Trabzonspor.
Pitch condition
Ahead of the match there were concerns about the pitch after heavy rain hit the Black Sea region, but Cumhuriyet reports that the stadium's vacuum drainage system effectively prevented waterlogging, and the surface was confirmed to be in good condition before kickoff.
Lineup changes and mood
Trabzonspor's new German head coach, Thomas Reis, made a notable lineup change ahead of the game, restoring midfielder Melih Kabasakal to the starting eleven after he had lost his place to Ozan Tufan over the previous two matches, according to Taka Gazete. Kabasakal was recently called up to Turkey's national team. Trabzonspor defender Samet Akaydın said before the match that there was a positive atmosphere within the squad and a desire to correct a poor start to the season, praising Reis's disciplined and intense training approach. Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk, for his part, said preparing for the match had been difficult since Reis had only taken charge of Trabzonspor a few days earlier.
