First-half dominance

Trabzonspor secured a 4-0 home victory over defending champions Galatasaray on Saturday, 19 September 2026, delivering the Istanbul club their first defeat of the Turkish Super Lig campaign. Mohamed Salah initiated the scoring early in the fourth minute of play, collecting the ball from midfield, accelerating past defenders, and placing a calm finish into the net. In the 39th minute, Salah turned provider by delivering a pass to Noah Saviolo, who struck the ball cleanly from inside the penalty area to double the home side's lead. Five minutes before the interval, Franculino Dju supplied an assist to Salah, who produced a clinical finish in the 44th minute. The sequence gave Trabzonspor a comfortable three-goal advantage as both teams headed into the halftime break.

Second-half dismissals and hat-trick completion

Galatasaray suffered further setbacks throughout the second half as discipline broke down on the pitch and along the touchline. Match officials sent Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk to the stands in the 71st minute after an altercation on the sideline. Nine minutes later, Salah completed his hat-trick in the 80th minute after receiving possession in his own half and running more than half the length of the pitch unchallenged. He concluded the solo counter-attack with a trademark side-foot finish into the corner of the net to register Trabzonspor's fourth goal. Galatasaray midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu was subsequently shown a straight red card in the 87th minute, reducing the visiting league leaders to ten men for the final minutes of the match.

Salah's individual return in Turkey

Salah entered Saturday's contest following his transfer from English Premier League club Liverpool to Trabzonspor during the summer window in August 2026. Prior to the match on 19 September, the Egyptian forward had scored four goals across his introductory appearances for the Turkish club. The three goals and single assist recorded against Galatasaray elevated his total to seven goals for Trabzonspor since his arrival. The fixture represented Salah's first hat-trick for the Black Sea club and handed the defending league champions their first loss of the domestic season. His offensive contributions established Trabzonspor's attacking tempo from the opening whistle to the final whistle.

Managerial transition and league standings

The 4-0 scoreline marked an immediate victory for German head coach Thomas Reis in his opening match week with Trabzonspor. Reis officially assumed managerial duties earlier in the week, taking over leadership of the squad following the departure of former coach Fatih Tekke earlier in September 2026. The three points elevated Trabzonspor to fifth place in the Turkish Super Lig standings, giving them 10 points from their first six league matches. Galatasaray remained in first place in the table despite the away defeat, maintaining a three-point advantage over Trabzonspor as the competition heads into the next round of fixtures.