In the 34th round of the Turkish Süper Lig, Istanbul Başakşehir secured a crucial victory. Nuri Şahin's team defeated Gaziantep 2-1 away from home. This match was particularly special for Uzbek fans, as two of our compatriots, Abbosbek Fayzullayev and Eldor Shomurodov, played key roles in the win.
The match started perfectly for the visitors. In the 6th minute, Abbosbek Fayzullayev assessed the situation well in the attack and provided a precise pass to German legionnaire Davie Selke. Selke capitalized on the opportunity to open the scoring. This episode highlighted Abbosbek's quick thinking, vision, and ability to progress the attack with an accurate pass.
Shortly after, Eldor Shomurodov took center stage. In the 22nd minute, the captain of the Uzbekistan national team confidently converted a penalty to double Başakşehir's lead. Most importantly, this goal brought Eldor's tally in the Turkish Süper Lig to 22.
With this, Shomurodov caught up with Trabzonspor striker Paul Onuachu, who had been leading the goalscoring race. This makes our compatriot a top contender for the season's biggest individual award — the Golden Boot.
In the second half, Başakşehir tried to create more chances, but the Istanbul side couldn't find the net again. Conversely, the hosts managed to pull one back in the 59th minute. However, Nuri Şahin's side held onto their lead and returned home with three valuable points.
While this win is important for Başakşehir's league standing, it was another major step for Eldor in his pursuit of personal records. He has scored six goals in his last six matches, becoming a true goal machine by the end of the season.
Interestingly, Paul Onuachu had been leading the race for a while, but the Nigerian forward hasn't scored since April 4th. His 'dry spell' has reached five games, a slump that Eldor has effectively exploited to catch up.
It is also worth noting another important statistic: 18 of Shomurodov's 22 goals have come from open play. By this metric, he is the most efficient striker in the Süper Lig, having scored only 4 goals from penalties.
The situation is different for Paul Onuachu. He also has 22 goals, but 6 of them were from the penalty spot, meaning the Nigerian has scored 16 from open play. Third-placed Fenerbahçe forward Talisca has 19 goals, 5 of which were penalties.
These numbers demonstrate how consistent and dangerous Eldor has been throughout the season. He wasn't reliant on penalties, scoring in various situations against different opponents. For a striker, the highest praise is being able to trouble any defense.
The fate of the goalscoring race now depends on the final matches. Trabzonspor plays Gençlerbirliği at home on May 17th. Paul Onuachu will try to score in that game to overtake Shomurodov and win the Golden Boot.
Fenerbahçe also plays its final league game on May 17th. Talisca, who scored a hat-trick last round, could theoretically join the race, but he would need to score at least three more goals to do so.
It is even more remarkable that this is Eldor Shomurodov's debut season in the Turkish top flight. He is the only player to have appeared in every league match for Başakşehir, proving his fitness, consistency, and the full trust of the coaching staff.
Our 30-year-old forward managed to score against almost every opponent, netting goals against 14 out of 17 teams: Beşiktaş, Alanyaspor, Konyaspor, Galatasaray, Antalyaspor, Kocaelispor, Gençlerbirliği, Trabzonspor, Kasımpaşa, Samsunspor, Gaziantep, Fatih Karagümrük, Rizespor, and Eyüpspor.
Only Fenerbahçe, Kayserispor, and Göztepe managed to keep Shomurodov from scoring in both league meetings. This further proves the widespread threat the striker posed throughout the season.
Istanbul Başakşehir finished the season in 5th place. The team's participation in European competitions now depends on the result of the Turkish Cup final. If Trabzonspor defeats Konyaspor in the final, Eldor Shomurodov and his teammates will qualify for international competition next season.
For Shomurodov, this season will be remembered not just for his goals, but for his leadership, consistency, and character. He adapted quickly to Turkish football, became his team's main weapon, and climbed to the very top of the goalscoring charts.
In short, Eldor didn't just play in Turkey — he left his mark on the season. Abbos provided the pass, Eldor scored the goal, and Başakşehir won. For Uzbek football, it was another proud night.
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