Trabzonspor moves atop in Turkish Süper Lig

ISTANBUL

Trabzonspor beat Giresunspor 1-0 on Aug. 29 in a Turkish Süper Lig away match to move atop the league standings.

Anthony Nwakaeme scored the winner in the seventh minute to give the Black Sea side its third victory in as many games.

Fenerbahçe, which won 2-0 at Altay on Aug. 30, is the only other team to have a perfect record after Kasımpaşa came from two goals behind to hold Galatasaray to a 2-2 draw.

Defending champion Beşiktaş beat Karagümrük 1-0 on Aug. 28 to level on seven points with Galatasaray.

Trabzonspor coach Abdullah Avcı said it was important for the club to head to a two-week international break with a perfect run.

“We have played seven games in four weeks, including four games on the European stage that required traveling for four or five hours,” Avcı said after the game.

“We wanted to win this match to make it three wins in a row for mental relaxation and make good use of this break,” the former Turkish international team coach said. “I congratulate my players.”

Avcı said Trabzonspor aims to be in the title competition until the very end.

Trabzonspor is a city club that has won championships in and has brought up important players to Turkish football,” he said.

“As of now, the fans believe in us; we believe in the players. We have a good squad, and each week we win, the energy of the group and the city increases more. Trabzonspor is, and will remain, in the race,” he added.

İn İzmir, Ferdi Kadıoğlu and Enner Valencia scored in the 51st and 55th minutes, respectively, to end newcomer Altay’s perfect run.

Fenerbahçe coach Vitor Pereira said his side got an important win against a physically strong team, adding that the team must react if things do not go well in the future.

“We will have difficult times, but if we are united as the team, the fans and the management, I think we will have reasons to celebrate at the end of the season,” he said at a post-game press conference.

Elsewhere in the Süper Lig’s Week 3 games, Antalyaspor beat Rizespor 3-2 at home, Adana Demirspor was held to a 1-1 draw by Konyaspor, Gaziantep lost 2-0 at Malatyaspor, Başakşehir was beaten 1-0 by Kayserispor in an away game, Sivasspor and Göztepe shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw and Hatayspor thrashed Alanyaspor 5-0.

The league will continue on Sept. 12 after a break for 2022 World Cup qualifications.

Turkey will play Montenegro in Istanbul on Sept. 1, followed by two away games: In Gibraltar on Sept. 4 and the Netherlands on Sept. 7.