Uzbek football fans are watching the Turkish Super League this season even more interestingly than usual. The reason is clear: Eldor Shomurodov and Abbosbek Fayzullayev are playing together in the same team - Istanbul Bashakshehir. Each tour with the participation of our compatriots is a special mood, a special intrigue for us.
And "Bashakshehir" justifies this interest. The competition for European cup spots is intense, and the team is in top form. Under the guidance of young coach Nuri Schachin, who has matured in German football, the club has won four of its last five matches, and in another match, they drew with champions Fenerbahçe. Such a series brought the Istanbul team much closer to the dream of a strong quartet.
The biggest surprise was Eldor Shomurodov from Roma. He became a real revelation in the Super League: he finished the first round of 17 with 12 goals, taking first place on the scoring list. In the first match of the second half, he also said his word - he scored against "Fatih Karagyumryuk" and further strengthened his leading position, bringing the score to 13.
But the "Golden Boot" road isn't always asphalt - it's mostly glass. Until now, Eldor had been competing mainly with Trabzonspor striker Paul Onuachu in the scoring race. The Nigerian foreign player did not participate in recent matches due to his departure for the African tournament, and his performance remained unchanged.
But the intrigue began here: now Eldar faced a new and very dangerous opponent - Brazilian Talisca. He became Fenerbahçe's main goal-scoring instrument, scoring a brace against Alanyaspor in the very first game of 2026. Thus, he reached 11 goals, matching Onuachu's tally.
For those who are Shomurodov's fans, this is also concerning: Talisca suddenly "fell in love." He scored five times in the last three games. Eldor, however, relies more on stability - often a one-goal scenario. It's not bad, but in the goal-scoring race, sometimes "one goal" saves you, and "two goals" break the opponent.
The current situation is as follows:
- Eldor Shomurodov - 13 goals and a clear leader.
- Paul Onuachu - 11 goals.
- Talisca - 11 goals.
However, the pressure from behind is also high. In the race, names appearing in the "lower tier" can jump up at any time: Felipe Augusto from "Trabzonspor," Ernest Muchi, Mauro Icardi from "Galatasaray," Umut Nayir from "Konyaspor," Marco Asensio and Yussef En-Nesyri from "Fenerbahçe," Muhammad Bayo from "Gaziantep," Tammy Abraham from "Beshiktosh..." Each of these has the power to "explode" in one or two games and turn the table upside down.
Now the focus is on the next test. Eldor's leading team, Istanbul Bashakshehir, will play away against Kayserispor in the 19th round of the Super League. We expect another goal from our compatriots in this match scheduled for January 25th. Especially this game is a special motivation for Eldor: "Kaiserispor" in the first round - he was one of the few opponents who couldn't score.
In short, the goal-scoring race will intensify in the coming weeks. Eldor is currently in the lead, but to hold onto the "Golden Boot," we now need not only a goal but also momentum. And the fans are ready: each round - a one-on-one duel, each goal - a special celebration.
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