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Trabzonspor came from two goals down to beat Çaykur Rizespor 4-3 at Çaykur Didi Stadı in week 9 of the Trendyol Süper Lig, keeping a perfect record under head coach Thomas Reis. Franculino Dju scored twice, including the winner in the 84th minute.

The Black Sea side has taken 12 points from four league matches since Reis took charge, scoring 13 goals and conceding three, after collecting seven points in the first five weeks of the season.

Rizespor take control before the break

Çaykur Rizespor opened the scoring in the 12th minute. After a pass from Olawoyin, Mithat Pala picked up the ball at the right angle of the penalty area and played it across, and Borrelli fired it into the net to make it 1-0.

Laçi had already tested goalkeeper Onana with a shot from behind the penalty arc in the fourth minute, while Franculino was denied by Fofana in the 22nd minute after a ball from Aral Şimşir. Borrelli then struck again in the 32nd minute, converting a first-time finish from in front of goal after Mebude's delivery from the right side of the box to double the lead.

Trabzonspor's best chance of the half came from a corner taken by Salah in the 34th minute, but Fofana held Melih Kabasakal's effort. The half ended 2-0 in favour of the home team.

Four second-half goals turn the game

Trabzonspor pulled one back in the 49th minute. Salah fed Muçi, who beat his marker in the area and rolled the ball across the six-yard box after Fofana had come off his line, leaving Melih Kabasakal to tap into an empty net.

Two minutes later the sides were level. Muçi played a low pass to Aral Şimşir, who finished past Fofana from close range to make it 2-2, and in the 57th minute the visitors moved ahead when Franculino turned in the rebound after Fofana spilled Muçi's shot from the right angle of the box.

Laçi equalised for Çaykur Rizespor in the 68th minute, meeting a first-time pass from Mebude with a clean strike from just outside the penalty arc. Muçi had a free kick saved by Fofana in the 73rd minute before setting up the decisive goal in the 84th, when Franculino scored from the left angle of the area to complete a 4-3 comeback win.

Perfect record and scoring form under Reis

The victory left Trabzonspor with 12 points from four league matches under Reis. The club had collected only seven points across the first five weeks of the season, an average of 1.4 points per game, compared with three points per game since the German head coach took over.

The team has also carried a strong attacking threat in that stretch, scoring 13 goals in the four matches while conceding three.

Franculino Dju played a decisive role in the away win with two goals, taking the forward's league tally for the season to four. Aral Şimşir and Melih Kabasakal, meanwhile, each scored their first goal in a Trabzonspor shirt.

Reis on a first half he did not recognise

Speaking at the post-match press conference at Çaykur Didi Stadı, Reis described the game as a "crazy" one and said he could not recognise his own team before the interval. "Everything was missing. Our performance was missing. Our behaviour, everything, was bad in the first half. We lost every duel, our passing quality was very poor," Reis said, adding that Çaykur Rizespor deserved its 2-0 half-time lead.

Reis told the players during the break that the situation was an opportunity, since Trabzonspor had scored first in previous matches but was now trailing by two. "I told the players we could lose a match, but I will never accept losing it in this way, with this behaviour and attitude," Reis said, warning that a 2-0 lead is always a dangerous score and urging the team to use the comeback as a chance.

On the second half, Reis said scoring four goals and winning away showed how much the team deserved the result, and added that the players' attitude in the second half made him very proud.

Substitutions and the referee question

Reis said he stayed calm at half-time and focused on analysing what had to change. One of the changes was to take off Fabinho, who was on a yellow card and had committed a foul afterwards. "We assessed that he risked a second yellow and being left with 10 men, so we substituted him," Reis said, adding that the other second-half changes were meant to freshen up the team and add intensity on the pitch.

Reis also stressed the value of a strong bench, saying he has players who perform well in European matches and all want to play. Asked about rotation and resting players, Reis said that anyone reporting fatigue would be rested at the right time and that "names do not matter to us, the team does."

On the incident that led to Fabinho's substitution, Reis said the question should be put to the referee. "From my view, 30 to 40 metres away, I did not see a foul worthy of a yellow card," he said, while rejecting any suggestion that the official might treat Fabinho or Salah differently. Reis added that all seven goals in the match came from the two sides' own mistakes.

Key takeaways

• Trabzonspor beat Çaykur Rizespor 4-3 after trailing 2-0 at half-time in week 9 of the Trendyol Süper Lig.
• Franculino Dju scored twice, including the 84th-minute winner, to reach four league goals for the season.
• Trabzonspor has 12 points from four league games under Thomas Reis, with 13 goals scored and three conceded.
• Aral Şimşir and Melih Kabasakal each scored their first goal for Trabzonspor.