Trabzonspor has found its way right in the third spot of the Super Lig after stealing a win at the Senol Gunes Stadium against Fenerbahce. The team rallied in the first half to escape with a 2-1 win.
Trabzon scored twice in the first half to overcome a 1-0 hole after Max Kruse gave Fenerbahce the lead in the first minute of the match. Fenerbahce has won four straight matches after losing to the Super Lig leaders Sivasspor in a 3-1 loss.
This loss saw another halt in their pace this season. Fenerbahce was eyeing to claim the top spot going into the second half of the season. While the Turkish Cup has not been so kind to the team, they have a considerable run in the Super Lig so far.
Alexander Sorloth drained a goal in the 15th minute to tie the game for Trabzon. The 24-year-old proves to be a great addition to the team after being acquired from Crystal Palace.
‘We have the quality to champion this season’, Sorloth told reporters in a post-match press conference. ‘We conceded an early goal but showed later that we can really fight. It was a real fight in the first half with key opportunities to score’.
Sorloth’s goal in the game also made him the league’s top-scoring leader. He needs another goal that will tie him with Oscar Cardozo as the most scoring foreign player in the team’s history.
‘I don’t have any number of goals in my mind. I don’t like talking about it very much. What matters is that the team wins’, he said of being the league’s leader in goals.
Trabzon leaps over Fenerbahce with 38 points. They are now tied with Alanyaspor for the third spot, while they trail Basaksehir by a point. A win in their next game will also put them in a tie with Sivasspor in the top spot.
The team has also condemned the racist abuse that John Obi Mikel has received in the team’s win. The midfielder played in the team’s hard-fought win for full 90 minutes. While it seemed like a heated match, the team has issued a statement regarding the racist remarks that Obi Mikel has received.
‘Racism is a refuge for helpless and ignorant people. Our player, (John) Obi Mikel, condemns the racist insults after the Fenerbahce match. We present to the public that we have filed a criminal complaint against the offenders’, said Trabzon on Twitter right after the match. Obi Mikel has played 372 games for Chelsea back in 2006 until 2017. He won two league titles and a spare of domestic cups. The team’s win could not have been possible if it wasn’t for his two tackles and one interception in the game.
Trabzon continues the race and is hoping to secure the top spot soon.
