Turkish Cup: Mounié tops scorers list after brace, Elia assists in Alanyaspor victory

Powerful striker Steve Mounié has yet to establish himself in the Turkish Süper Lig since moving to Alanyaspor but the Benin national team talisman is taking his chances in the Turkish Cup. The former Brest and Huddersfield goal scorer added two more goals to his cup total to lead all scorers in a 4-0 victory at Boluspor.

It was a routine victory for the top flight side at the home venue of their second tier opponents. The first half surprisingly ended scoreless despite domination from the Süper Lig club, who had a goal disallowed by VAR after Congolese attacker Meschack Elia appeared to open the scoring inside five minutes.

But Elia did get his goal contribution less than three minutes into the second half. Running onto a pass from defender Fidan Aliti, the former BSC Young Boys star produced a clever cross with the outside of his right boot to find Romanian forward Ianis Hagi for an easy finish.

Hagi, the former Rangers FC star, was not finished. The walls came crumbling down for Boluspor when Hagi doubled his tally ten minutes later and then it was time for Benin star Mounié to join the party.

The striker recently broke his Süper Lig duck after coming on as a substitute to give his club a point at Rizespor on January 25 but continued to resume his cup heroics in the final half hour of Wednesday’s clash.

After an extended spell of possession from Alanyaspor in the Boluspor half, Nicolas Janvier found room to shoot on goal. His low effort was blocked right into the path of the Beninese poacher, who ruthlessly smashed his rebound effort into the roof of the net without mercy for the scrambling goalkeeper. He now has six goals from three cup matches to make him sole leader.

Alanyaspor now sit at the top of Group A, moving past previous group leaders Trabzonspor. Süper Lig champions and current leaders Galatasaray look likely to overtake the rest of the competition for top spot but one more direct qualification spot remains to reach the playoff stage as well as two of the best third place finishers from the three groups.

 

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Alanyaspor currently lead by one point but will have to face Galatasaray in their final group stage match at home on March 4. Trabzonspor will face İstanbul Başakşehir in their final match with plenty to be dtermined on the final day of group stage matches.