The leaders of the Uzbekistan national team, Eldor Shomurodov and Abbosbek Fayzullayev, played for "Istanbul Bashakshehir" under Nuri Shahin. The team has changed both in terms of results and playing style, giving fans confidence: the Istanbul team's unbeaten streak has reached six matches.
Five of these six matches were won. Only in the clash with Fenerbahçe, which was seriously fighting for the championship, "Bashakshehir" couldn't achieve victory - in that match, the forces were equal. But the general background indicates one thing: Nuri Shakhin arrived - the team began to find itself.
Eldor Shomurodov's contribution to this success is especially noticeable. In the 19th round, Istanbul Bashakshehir played away against Kayserispor, sending three unanswered goals. Shomurodov played very actively in the match and had a decisive impact in two goal episodes.
First of all, in the first case, Eldor's hard shot was saved by the goalkeeper, but the ball touched defender Ramazon Chivelek and was counted as an own goal. That is, although there was an own goal in the official protocol, it was Shomurodov who "created" the episode.
And in the third goal, he once again showed one of his strongest weapons: a smart and accurate pass. Nunu Da Costa scored after an ideal pass from the Uzbek striker. At such times, it's difficult to claim "it's not a goal" to the striker - because without that pass, there wouldn't be a goal either.
But there's one painful aspect to this game: Despite Eldor's own several accurate shots, he couldn't score. And this can later be expensive. Because Shomurodov is considered the main contender for the top scorer of the Turkish Super League: he leads with 13 goals in 19 matches.
But scoring is an "unforgivable race." In this round, one of his closest pursuers, Paul Onuachu, scored a goal. The Nigerian foreign player scored against "Kasimpasha," bringing his league goals to 12, contributing to "Trabzonspor's" victory and minimizing the gap with Eldor. Now a one-goal distance is almost "in the blink of an eye."
Brazil's Talisca, who is in third place, also has 11 goals and will try to increase his score in this round. Since his team, Fenerbahçe, hasn't played a match in the 19th round yet, there's a high probability that the scoring game will change quickly.
Furthermore, the next-placed players, Mauro Icardi and Felipe Augusto, failed to score this time, with 9 goals each. So, the main pressure is currently in the top three - especially around Eldor.
Now let's get to the most interesting and somewhat bitter point. In the match against Kayserispor, Bayern Munich's German legionnaire, Davy Zelke, opened the scoring with a penalty. And the unclear aspect is that Shomurodov, who is "leading" in the top scorers race, is not given the opportunity to shoot from an 11-meter point.
This is not the first time. Zelke also scored a penalty in the dramatic clash with Trabzonspor, opening the scoring. In that match, Eldor scored a goal during the game and still proved himself. But this time, instead of scoring, he limited himself to creating chances.
In the scoring competition, every goal is worth gold. In this sense, if "Bashakshehir" further supports Eldor and hands him the responsibility for the penalty, it could be beneficial for both the team and the player. Eldor knows how to take a penalty - many people know this well. For a striker, every goalless match is likely to become a "lost opportunity."
The conclusion is one: "Bashakshehir" has a series, a game, and a spirit. Now, even the smallest details are crucial for maintaining Eldor's top scorer position. Episodes like penalties sometimes change the fate of the entire season - especially in the top scorer race.
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