Deniz Gul nets on Turkey debut, boosts ambition at FC Porto

In partnership with

Portal dos Dragões

·20 novembre 2025

Deniz Gul nets on Turkey debut, boosts ambition at FC Porto

Deniz Gul possesses qualities valued by Francesco Farioli, complementing the fast-paced style of Samu, FC Porto’s goal man. The Turkish international stands out for his power, ability to play in combination, and total commitment—traits that have earned him praise, although the Spaniard’s overall numbers make his teammate almost untouchable in the team.

Deniz Gül estreia-se a marcar pela seleção turca na estreia a titular 🫨 #sporttvportugal #QUALIFIERSnaSPORTTV #QualificaçãoMundial #Espanha #Turquia
– mardi 18 novembre 2025

Samu has scored nine goals this season—six in the League and three in the Portuguese Cup—while Deniz Gul, with a third of the minutes of the former Girona player, has scored two, both in the league.

Vidéos OneFootball

The rest of November anticipates the return of Luuk De Jong. He may not be available for FC Porto’s first match after the international break, against Sintrense in the Portuguese Cup, but Nice could give him his first minutes and a return to normality—that is, three players competing for a single spot. The long absence of De Jong opened the door for Deniz Gul to step out of the shadows, sharpen his instincts, and establish himself in the team, even if still in the background compared to Samu. It’s worth noting that the Swedish-Turkish striker only made his debut in the 4th round of the League, against Sporting, coming on as a substitute in the last 19 minutes of the classic, which the Dragons won 2-1. From September 8, when the starter suffered a sprain in his left knee during a training match against Lusitânia Lourosa, Gul began to be used more regularly, mainly to give Samu some rest.

During this period, he started three times and was used as a substitute in eight matches. He only managed to score coming off the bench: he found the net against Arouca (4-0) and, more decisively, against Moreirense, securing a 2-1 victory for the blue and whites in the final moments. This breakthrough at FC Porto also translated to the Turkish national team: in his fifth match, he started and scored against Spain—a highly impactful finish considering Spain’s defensive solidity. In fact, it had been 71 years since a Turkish player last scored away against Spain—the previous one was Recep Adanır, a former Beşiktaş and Galatasaray figure, in January 1954.

Deniz Gul therefore appears ready to compete for the spot with Samu and De Jong. At least now, he has stronger arguments than at the start of the season to claim a bigger role.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.