Mohamed Salah was unable to prevent Trabzonspor from suffering a 1-0 away defeat against Konyaspor in the Turkish league, despite making a full appearance in a match that also featured a late cameo from fellow Egyptian Mostafa Mohamed.
Salah started for Trabzonspor and remained on the pitch throughout the match, but could not provide the decisive contribution his side needed. Mostafa Mohamed, meanwhile, was introduced by Konyaspor in the 84th minute as the home side protected their advantage.
The result came in the fifth round of the Turkish League Championship and left Trabzonspor disappointed after failing to find an equaliser.
The fixture was billed as a mini Egyptian derby because of the presence of the two international forwards, although their roles were very different. Salah was given responsibility from the start, while Mostafa Mohamed had to wait until the closing stages before entering the contest.
According to SofaScore statistics, Salah received a rating of 6.7 out of 10 for his performance.
Salah unable to find the target
The Trabzonspor forward remained involved in his team’s attacking attempts but struggled to turn those efforts into a serious threat on goal.
Salah attempted three shots during the match, but none found the target. He also missed one clear scoring opportunity, with his expected goals figure recorded at 0.25.
His inability to produce a goal or assist ultimately proved costly as Trabzonspor failed to respond to Konyaspor’s winning goal.
The Egyptian was heavily involved in possession, touching the ball 59 times during the match.
He completed 32 of his 39 attempted passes, giving him an 82% passing accuracy. Salah also created two key opportunities for his team-mates, while his expected assists figure stood at 0.13.
His work from wide areas produced mixed results.
The 34-year-old attempted six crosses but successfully delivered only one. He was more effective with longer passes, completing four of his five attempts.
Those figures illustrated Salah’s involvement in Trabzonspor’s attacking play, although his influence did not translate into the final product required to change the result.
Mixed returns in one-on-one battles
Salah also contested several duels during the match.
He won three of his five ground duels and completed one successful dribble from two attempts.
However, the Egyptian also gave the ball away 19 times during the game.
He was fouled twice, with those incidents resulting in free-kicks for Trabzonspor.
Despite the turnovers, Salah remained one of the more prominent attacking figures for his side as they searched for a way back into the match.
His statistics suggest that he was involved regularly, but his lack of accuracy in front of goal meant that much of his work did not produce the decisive outcome Trabzonspor needed.
Mostafa Mohamed enters late
The Egyptian contest between the two clubs was completed in the final stages when Konyaspor introduced Mostafa Mohamed in the 84th minute.
The striker’s arrival came with his side already ahead, meaning his primary task was to help Konyaspor maintain their advantage rather than lead an attack in search of a winning goal.
Konyaspor successfully held on to their 1-0 lead and claimed all three points.
For Salah, it was a frustrating night in which his individual efforts were not enough to rescue Trabzonspor.
The Egyptian appeared to carry much of the attacking responsibility, particularly as his fellow forwards Paul Onuachu and Shemcher struggled to make a similar impact.
Salah’s three shots, two key passes and 59 touches showed his willingness to remain involved, but his failure to put any of his attempts on target ultimately summed up Trabzonspor’s problems in attack.
The defeat leaves the Turkish side needing a response in their next league outing, while Salah will be expected to rediscover his finishing touch after a match in which his involvement did not translate into goals or points.
