Onana, Nwaiwu, or Salah: Who was Trabzonspor's hero?

Trabzonspor continued their strong performance from the Ferençvaroş match into their game against Başakşehir, starting the match with significant intensity. Although Başakşehir had the first major scoring chance, a spectacular sliding tackle by Nwaiwu prevented a certain goal. Nwaiwu's intervention was crucial, as a mistimed move could have resulted in a red card, but he managed to clear the ball and then block a second attempt, thwarting a clear goal-scoring opportunity.

Trabzonspor took the lead through a goal by Salah. However, Başakşehir quickly equalized with a penalty kick. The penalty was awarded after a shot struck Nwaiwu's arm, an unfortunate incident for the player who had otherwise delivered an excellent performance. Başakşehir, described as a team with high capacity, attempted to control the tempo of the game and slow down the pace.

The article points out Trabzonspor's main error was occasionally matching the opponent's slower tempo. When Trabzonspor increased their pace, they created more chances and scored goals. They had numerous opportunities in the second half to widen the scoreline but failed to convert them. Fortunately, the game did not expose football's unforgiving nature due to these missed chances.

The defensive and midfield players demonstrated good coordination, maintaining sufficient distance to win back the ball. The simultaneous pressing, a welcome sight after a long time, indicated improved teamwork. The article notes that physically imposing players like Onuachu often take time to reach peak form, making his missed chances understandable. It suggests that once he regains his full fitness, he will convert more of these opportunities.

The author struggled to decide whether Onana, Nwaiwu, or Salah was the man of the match, emphasizing that Onana and Nwaiwu's goalkeeping and defensive efforts to prevent goals were as valuable as Salah's scoring. Onana's crucial save from Umut Bozok's shot in the final minutes was highlighted as a key turning point. The piece concludes by referencing legendary coach Ahmet Suat Özyazıcı's saying, "Your scorer and your goalkeeper must be good," and asserts that Trabzonspor possesses both.