Egyptian star Mohamed Salah stole the spotlight as Trabzonspor opened their 2026-2027 UEFA Conference League campaign with an exciting 4-2 victory over Finnish side KuPS.

Salah delivered an impressive performance, scoring one goal, providing an assist, and wearing the captain's armband for the first time with the Turkish club.

The match took place on Thursday at Tammela Stadium in Tampere, Finland, in the opening round of the league phase.

The victory gave Trabzonspor their first three points of the European campaign and a strong start away from home.

Salah Scores and Assists in an Exciting First Half

Trabzonspor started the match strongly and needed only three minutes to take the lead.

Mohamed Salah provided the assist for Nigerian striker Paul Onuachu, who finished the move to give the Turkish side an early advantage.

However, Onuachu suffered an injury in the 10th minute and was forced to leave the pitch.

Following his departure, Salah received the captain's armband for the first time since joining Trabzonspor.

The Egyptian forward continued to threaten the Finnish defense and nearly scored with a powerful shot that was saved by the KuPS goalkeeper.

Just before halftime, Salah made another important contribution.

In the 44th minute, he reacted quickly to a loose ball inside the penalty area and fired it into the net, doubling Trabzonspor's lead.

The Turkish side entered halftime with a comfortable 2-0 advantage, thanks to Salah's goal and assist.

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Beyond his direct contributions, Salah played an important role in Trabzonspor's attacking moves, helping his team control the first half and create dangerous chances.

Four Goals Secure Trabzonspor's Winning European Start

Trabzonspor continued their attacking performance after the break, with Franculino scoring the third goal in the 47th minute to extend the lead to 3-0.

KuPS responded in the 54th minute when Petteri Pennanen found the net, reducing the deficit to 3-1 and bringing some excitement back into the contest.

One minute later, Salah was substituted in the 55th minute, leaving the pitch after an impressive performance in which he had directly contributed to two of Trabzonspor's goals.

The Finnish side continued to push forward, but Trabzonspor goalkeeper Andre Onana made an important save in the 69th minute to prevent another goal.

In stoppage time, Franculino scored his second goal of the match in the 91st minute, giving Trabzonspor a 4-1 lead.

KuPS managed to score again through Gustav Engvall in the 96th minute, but it was not enough to change the result, as Trabzonspor secured a 4-2 victory.

Salah's performance continued his impressive recent form with the Turkish club.

Reports highlighted his hat-trick against Galatasaray in the domestic league, as well as his Turkish league Player of the Month award for September.

The match also attracted Egyptian supporters who attended the stadium carrying Salah's pictures and Egyptian flags, showing their support for the national team captain.

Salah's goal against KuPS also marked another important moment in his European career, as he added the UEFA Conference League to the continental competitions in which he has scored, following his previous goals in the Champions League and Europa League.

With this victory, Trabzonspor made a positive start to their Conference League campaign, while Salah once again showed his importance to the team's attacking plans and European ambitions this season.