Paul Onuachu: The biggest victim of Salah’s electric Trabzonspor start

Mohamed Salah has wasted little time making his mark at Trabzonspor, but his explosive start has created an unexpected problem for one of the club’s biggest stars. Nigerian striker Paul Onuachu, who carried the Turkish side’s attack last season, is still searching for his first goal as Salah takes centre stage.

The Egyptian forward delivered a match-winning performance in Trabzonspor’s 2-1 victory over Istanbul Başakşehir on Sunday, scoring twice to secure the club’s first win of the new Süper Lig campaign.

For Onuachu, however, the opening weeks of the season have been far more frustrating.

After a quiet debut in Trabzonspor’s 1-1 draw against Kasımpaşa, Salah was handed his first league start against Başakşehir and responded in spectacular fashion.

The former Liverpool star opened the scoring after just eight minutes, capitalising on a mistake from the opposition goalkeeper before calmly finishing to give Trabzonspor the lead.

Although Eldor Shomurodov equalised from the penalty spot, Salah restored his team’s advantage shortly after half-time with another composed finish.

Two games into the season, the numbers are already impressive. Salah has two goals in two matches and has quickly become the attacking player opponents are most concerned about. His influence has been immediate, with Trabzonspor collecting their first three points of the campaign thanks to his brilliance.

The contrast with Onuachu could not be clearer. The Nigerian striker was Trabzonspor’s main attacking weapon last season, finishing as the club’s top scorer with 22 league goals and becoming one of the most feared forwards in Turkey.

However, after two matches this season, the towering striker is still without a goal. Against Başakşehir, Onuachu had a golden opportunity to open his account when Salah found him inside the box in the 61st minute. The Nigerian forward was unable to beat the goalkeeper after a defensive challenge denied him.

It is still far too early to suggest that Onuachu has lost his place or importance, especially because he and Salah offer different qualities in attack. However, the early signs show Salah becoming Trabzonspor’s biggest attacking threat while Onuachu searches for his rhythm.

Interestingly, some expected Salah’s arrival to benefit Onuachu rather than create competition. Former Trabzonspor forward Emre Güral previously argued that Salah’s presence would attract defensive attention and create more space for the Nigerian striker.

“Paul Onuachu will now receive the ball in a much different way and find himself in different positions,” Güral said.

He believed defenders would focus heavily on stopping Salah, allowing Onuachu to exploit gaps in the final third.

However, that theory has not yet translated into goals, and with Trabzonspor still exploring attacking options, including reported interest in forwards such as Darwin Núñez and Fabio Silva, Onuachu will be eager to prove that Salah’s arrival can create a deadly partnership rather than push him into the shadows.

The season is only beginning, but Salah has already established himself as Trabzonspor’s new X-factor. The challenge for Onuachu is turning that spotlight into opportunities and reminding everyone why he was the club’s leading scorer last season.