Former Watford star and now Trabzonspor manager Ozan Tufan has praised Paul Onuachu’s defence role during their 2-1 victory against Goztepe, Soccernet.ng reports.
Trabzonspor’s dramatic 2–1 win over Göztepe on Sunday produced an unlikely hero at the back, as the Nigerian striker Onuachu stepped into a defensive role to help his team secure all three points.
The intense Super Lig clash, which featured three goals and two red cards, forced Trabzonspor to improvise after going down to 10 men late in the game.
Onuachu, normally relied upon for his presence in the opposition’s box, was deployed as a makeshift centre-back following Wagner Pina’s dismissal in the 78th minute.
new position pic.twitter.com/Kumh0Irk40
— Trabzonspor (@Trabzonspor) December 7, 2025
Ozan Tufan: Ex-Watford star on Onuachu’s defender role
Reacting to the victory, Tufan applauded the team’s praised Onuachu’s willingness to sacrifice his attacking duties to stabilise the defence.
“We fought very well even down to 10 men. We were happy that Onuachu came in to help in defence and that our other teammates saw this and contributed. I think we’ve established a very good atmosphere as a city and a team,” Tufan said as quoted by BeinSports.
Göztepe vs Trabzonspor: What Happened
Trabzonspor sealed the victory through a brace from Ernest Muçi, who struck in the 46th and 76th minutes to put his side firmly in control.
Göztepe pulled one back in the 85th minute through Nigerian midfielder Anthony Dennis, to set up a tense finish as the home crowd pushed for an equaliser.
The late red card to Pina forced Trabzonspor into a reshuffle, and Onuachu’s move into defence proved crucial in soaking up Göztepe’s pressure.
Despite being a man down, Trabzonspor held on to secure the win, which lifted them to second place in the Super Lig standings with just two points behind league leaders, Galatasaray.