Paul Onuachu continued his impressive run of form as Trabzonspor came from behind to secure a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Basaksehir FK in a thrilling Turkish Super Lig encounter on Monday evening.

Felipe Augusto, Paul Onuachu and Ernest Muçi, who bagged a brace, found the net for Trabzonspor, while Davie Selke, Eldor Shomurodov and Bertuğ Yıldırım scored for the home team. 

In the 71st minute, a corner delivered by Zubkov ricocheted off Kemen, sparking calls for a penalty from the Trabzonspor players. 

After referee Halil Umut Meler awarded the penalty following a VAR review, Onuachu stepped forward and calmly slotted the ball to the goalkeeper's right, bringing his team level.

The Nigeria international has now scored nine league goals this season, drawing level with Basaksehir's Shomurodov in the race for the Super Lig Golden Boot.

Speaking after the match, Onuachu expressed satisfaction with the result but stressed that the team must continue to improve.

"It’s always good to win. We are happy with the three points but there’s more work to do,” Onuachu said to Spor Arena.

"I am just happy for the three points. They played well even though they were a man down. At the end of the day, we fought back and got the three points.”

When asked to assess his his performance, the towering forward admitted that the numerical advantage did not immediately translate into more involvement for him but emphasised the importance of staying alert.

“Basaksehir FK were one man down; as a striker there’s not much to do. You just have to find spaces to get a goal for your team,” Onuachu noted.

“My playing style didn’t really come into the game, but I scored a crucial penalty at that moment.”

Despite his red-hot form, Onuachu was left out of the Super Eagles squad for the November internationals against Gabon and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The FC Ebedei product has not featured for the Super Eagles since June 2024 when he came off the bench in a World Cup qualifier against Benin. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel