Paul Onuachu delivered a decisive contribution from the bench as Trabzonspor secured a dramatic 4–2 victory over İstanbul Başakşehir in the Turkish Cup on Tuesday.
The result at the Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium ensured Trabzonspor finished second in Group A with nine points, booking their place in the quarter-finals, while the hosts were eliminated.
Trabzonspor began with intent and took the lead in the sixth minute through Brazilian forward Felipe Augusto, who capped an early spell of pressure with a composed finish.
Onuachu. Photo Credit: Imago
The visitors controlled much of the first half and carried their slender advantage into the break.
The momentum shifted almost immediately after the restart. Nuno Da Costa equalised within a minute of the second half, and Ivan Brnić completed the turnaround in the 66th minute to put Başakşehir 2–1 ahead.
Sensing the game slipping away, Trabzonspor head coach Fatih Tekke introduced Onuachu in search of a response.
The change proved pivotal. Mustafa Eskihellaç restored parity in the 70th minute, setting up a tense final phase.
Başakşehir’s hopes were then dented in the 79th minute when Ousseynou Ba was shown a straight red card, leaving the hosts a man down.
Photo Credit: Imago
With five minutes remaining, Onuachu produced the defining moment. The Nigeria international surged into the penalty area, powered past one defender, skipped beyond another and calmly slotted the ball home to restore Trabzonspor’s lead at 3–2.
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Moments later, Ozan Tufan capitalised on high pressing, blocking the goalkeeper’s attempted clearance and watching the ball roll into the net to seal a 4–2 win.
The victory confirmed Trabzonspor’s progression from Group A, while Başakşehir, who finished on six points, exited the competition.
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Onuachu, currently the Turkish Super Lig’s leading scorer with 18 league goals, continues to underline his importance as Trabzonspor pursue their first Turkish Cup title since 2020.
