Trabzonspor boosted their title credentials with a 2-1 home win over Galatasaray in the 28th week of the Süper Lig, and towering striker Paul Onuachu once again proved decisive.
The Nigerian forward opened the scoring with a header in the fourth minute, marking his 22nd league goal of the season and keeping him atop the Süper Lig scoring charts.
His strike not only energized the team but underscored his pivotal role in a campaign that has seen him carry the bulk of Trabzonspor’s attacking burden.
Standing at 2.01 metres, the 31-year-old has started 24 of the club’s 25 league games, contributing 22 goals and two assists in 2,152 minutes.
His tally represents roughly 40% of Trabzonspor’s 55 goals across 28 fixtures, a remarkable share for a single player in a team chasing a championship.
Onuachu’s physical presence, aerial dominance, and finishing consistency have made him the focal point of the Black Sea club’s attack, turning him into one of the most feared forwards in Türkiye this season.
Onuachu is now within reach of two historic single-season records for foreign players at Trabzonspor.
Alexander Sorloth scored 24 goals in 2019-2020, and Şota Arveladze holds the club’s single-season foreign record with 25 goals from 1995-1996.
With six league matches remaining, Onuachu needs three more goals to surpass Sørloth and equal Arveladze, while four additional strikes would see him set a new all-time record.
This pursuit comes after an impressive trajectory at Trabzonspor.
On loan in 2023-2024, Onuachu scored 15 goals in 21 league appearances, leaving a strong impression that prompted a permanent transfer in July 2025.
In just his second season with the club, he has already surpassed his previous Trabzonspor tally, delivering the most prolific campaign of his professional career.
Onuachu’s resurgence in Türkiye follows an uneven spell in England.
After breaking through at KRC Genk in Belgium, scoring 29 goals in 2020-2021 and adding 19 and 16 goals in subsequent seasons, he moved to Southampton in 2023.
Limited playing time and a challenging Premier League environment restricted him to four goals in 36 appearances over 1.5 seasons.
Returning to Trabzonspor, first on loan and now permanently, has reignited his career, allowing him to reclaim his clinical edge and dominate in front of goal.
His form has included multiple braces and match-winning performances, most notably during high-profile fixtures early in 2026 that elevated him onto European scoring charts for the calendar year.
His consistency, averaging a goal every 98 minutes, has drawn praise from Turkish and European media alike, making him a central figure in Trabzonspor’s title bid.
Trabzonspor’s victory over Galatasaray underscored the direct link between Onuachu’s scoring and the team’s championship ambitions.
The 22 goals he has scored in 28 league games have been critical in securing 19 wins, keeping Trabzonspor in contention against traditional powerhouses like Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe.
With six matches remaining, each goal carries extra weight, not just for individual accolades but for the team’s title aspirations.
