Ivorian defender Christopher Opéri made an immediate impact as Başakşehir began their Süper Lig campaign with a 2-0 victory over Kocaelispor.
The left-back opened the scoring in the 14th minute at home, converting after being played through by Abbosbek Fayzullayev to give the Istanbul side an early advantage.
The goal was Opéri’s first of the new league season and his second in the Süper Lig since joining Başakşehir. It also took his total number of goals for the club to four in all competitions, according to the information provided.
Başakşehir eventually secured all three points when Eldor Shomurodov added a second goal in the 72nd minute.
Viktor Claesson delivered the cross for Andreas Skov Olsen, whose header set up Shomurodov to finish from close range.
The result gave Başakşehir a winning start, with Opéri playing a prominent role in their success.
Opéri enjoyed a particularly productive first full Ligue 1 season with Le Havre in 2023-24. He started all 28 of his league appearances, scoring three goals and providing four assists.
Across his Ligue 1 career with Le Havre, he made 41 appearances, scoring three times and registering six assists.
That attacking contribution has remained a feature of his game since moving to Turkey.
After arriving at Başakşehir midway through the 2024-25 campaign, Opéri played 11 league matches, starting 10 of them, and scored once.
His involvement increased further last season. He started all 22 of his Süper Lig appearances and accumulated between 1,821 and 1,825 minutes, depending on the statistical source used.
Although he did not score in the league during that campaign, he contributed four assists and was regularly involved in Başakşehir’s build-up and attacking play.
His latest goal therefore represents an encouraging start to a season in which he could have a greater attacking influence.
Opéri’s development reflects the increasingly important role attacking full-backs play in modern football.
From his time at Le Havre to his spell in Istanbul, the Ivorian has demonstrated a willingness to move forward and contribute beyond his defensive responsibilities.
His opening-day goal against Kocaelispor also came in a different fashion from simply arriving late in the box. Opéri showed his pace to get on the end of Fayzullayev’s pass before calmly finishing beyond the goalkeeper.
The early goal helped Başakşehir establish control of the match and provided a platform for them to secure the three points.
The hosts appeared to have doubled their advantage before half-time, but the effort was ruled out following a VAR review.
They eventually got their second in the 72nd minute, however, with Shomurodov completing the scoring.
For Opéri, the performance offers an early indication of what could lie ahead. After contributing four assists without scoring in last season’s league campaign, he has already found the net in the opening match this time around.
His record in the Turkish top flight now stands at two goals, with the first having come during the 2024-25 season.
