Shomurodov Catches Up to Salah: The Race for the Golden Boot in the Turkish Süper Lig Heats Up

19 October 2026, 07:01·86·Sport

By the eighth round of the Turkish Süper Lig, the battle for the Golden Boot among the league's star strikers has reached maximum intensity.

The Uzbekistan national team striker Eldor Shomurodov scored a goal and provided an assist in the latest round, catching up to Mohamed Salah and Gift Orban in the top scorers' race, joining the leaders.

Top Scorers' Lead: The Trio of Shomurodov, Muriqi, and Salah

Currently, three players lead the scoring charts with 7 goals each:

Eldor Shomurodov (Istanbul Başakşehir): He opened the scoring in the 8th minute against Gaziantep and provided the winning assist to his teammate Umut Güneş in the 82nd minute (2-1), bringing his goal tally to 7;
Vedat Muriqi (Fenerbahçe): The Kosovan forward scored against Alanyaspor, reaching 7 goals. Muriqi scored four of these in a single match (poker) against Eyüpspor;
Gift Orban (Amed): He failed to find the net this round and was substituted. He remains on 7 goals;
Mohamed Salah (Trabzonspor): The Egyptian star, with 7 goals, will play his 8th-round match on October 19 and has a great opportunity to solidify his lead.

Shomurodov's Consistency: Tradition Against Gaziantep and a Prolific Season

Eldor Shomurodov has shown remarkable consistency, scoring in almost every match since the start of the season:

3rd goal against Gaziantep: The striker scored in both matches against Gaziantep last season, and he kept that tradition alive this time as well;
The Scorer's Goals: This season, in addition to Gaziantep, Shomurodov has scored once against Kocaelispor, Trabzonspor, Kasımpaşa, and Galatasaray, and recorded a brace against Gençlerbirliği.

Osimhen Fails to Score, Next Clash Between Salah and Vlahović

Other stars in the race for the top scorer title are also fighting for their positions:

Victor Osimhen falls behind: The Nigerian star, who played 90 minutes for Galatasaray, failed to score against Gençlerbirliği (the winning goal was an own goal) and remains a chaser with 6 goals;
Salah vs. Vlahović duel on October 19: Serbian striker Dušan Vlahović, with 6 goals, and Mohamed Salah, with 7, will face each other in the round's final marquee match: Trabzonspor vs. Beşiktaş.

Shomurodov's high form makes him not only the club's main weapon but also a genuine top contender for the Turkish league's Golden Boot.