RismadarVoice Reporters
October 22, 2026
Egyptian football star Mohamed Salah delivered an impressive performance as Trabzonspor defeated Scottish side Hearts 2-0 in Thursday’s UEFA Conference League encounter at Papara Park in Turkey.
The former Liverpool forward scored from the penalty spot in the first half before providing the assist for Franculino Djú’s second-half goal, helping the Turkish club secure its second consecutive victory in the competition.
Trabzonspor entered the encounter hoping to maintain their winning start to the European campaign, while Hearts sought to recover from a disappointing run of results.
The Scottish visitors arrived in Turkey following a 7-1 defeat against Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, with injuries further complicating their preparations.
Despite those difficulties, Hearts created an early opportunity when Malachi Fagan-Walcott directed a header against the post.
Trabzonspor gradually gained control of possession and increased the pressure on the visitors’ defence.
The breakthrough came in the 32nd minute after Hearts defender Tómas Magnússon brought down Franculino inside the penalty area.
Salah stepped forward and calmly converted the resulting penalty, sending goalkeeper Beau Reus the wrong way to give the hosts a 1-0 advantage.
Hearts suffered another setback before the interval when defender Christian Borchgrevink was forced off injured and replaced by Stephen Kingsley.
The visitors attempted to respond after the restart but struggled to convert their attacking opportunities.
Trabzonspor doubled their advantage in the 58th minute when Salah combined effectively with Franculino, whose curling finish beat Reus to extend the home side’s lead.
The goal effectively put the contest beyond Hearts, although the Scottish club continued searching for a response.
Josh McPake later fired narrowly wide as the visitors attempted to reduce the deficit.
Trabzonspor finished the match with 10 players after Sidny Lopes Cabral received a second yellow card in stoppage time for a challenge on Sabah Kerjota.
However, the late dismissal did little to change the outcome as the Turkish side secured all three points.
The victory took Trabzonspor to six points from their opening two Conference League matches, strengthening their position in the league phase.
For Salah, who joined Trabzonspor in August 2026 after leaving Liverpool, the performance provided another demonstration of his attacking influence in European competition.
Hearts, meanwhile, will look to improve their results as they continue their campaign under manager Wouter Vrancken.
