LIGUE 1: Openda shines with fastest Ligue 1 hat-trick since 1967

Lois Openda scored a hat-trick in Lens’ 4-0 win at Clermont on Sunday in just four minutes and 30 seconds, the fastest in Ligue 1 since 1967.

The 23-year-old grabbed his first goal in the 30th minute at the Stade Gabriel Montpied after racing onto a lofted pass from the left from Angelo Fulgini before putting the ball through the legs of Clermont goalkeeper Mory Diaw.

In the 34th minute, he took advantage of a defensive error from the hosts as he finished off a neat square pass from Adrien Thomasson, before completing his hat-trick just 66 seconds later when Mateusz Wieteska under-hit a backpass, allowing Openda to round Diaw and finish.

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The Belgian striker also managed to add an assist in the second half as he pulled the ball back from the right for substitute Alexis Claude-Maurice to make it 4-0 to the visitors.

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Openda’s treble was just the second this century to be achieved in under five minutes, beating Matt Moussilou’s for Lille against Istres in April 2005 by four seconds.

According to Opta, he is only the third Ligue 1 player to score a hat-trick inside five minutes in the last 75 years, along with Moussilou and Michel Margottin for Angers against Rouen in February 1967. The exact hat-trick time for Margottin in that match 56 years ago was not recorded.

Only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has scored more hat-tricks this season in the top five European leagues (four) than Openda, whose treble against Clermont was his second of the season after also hitting three goals against Toulouse in October.