Four-midable Mbappe nets seven-minute hat-trick

PIRAEUS, Greece — Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe scored four goals in a Champions League match for the first time in his career Wednesday, including the second-fastest hat-trick in the competition's history.

Mbappe netted three times in just under seven minutes in Real Madrid's 4-3 win at Olympiacos.

"I'm very happy to have scored the goals, it's always a pleasure for me," Mbappe said. "My teammates always set me up with good balls. I'm lucky to play for this team that has so much quality."

Mbappe scored the hat-trick in the 22nd, 24th and 29th minutes — after Chiquinho had put Olympiacos ahead in the eighth. The France international added his fourth goal in the 60th after Mehdi Taremi had scored for the hosts in the 52nd. Ayoub El Kaabi scored Olympiacos' third goal in the 81st.

Mohamed Salah's hat-trick for Liverpool at Rangers in 2022 still stands as the quickest ever scored in the Champions League, according to UEFA. The Egypt forward needed six minutes and 12 seconds to score his trio of goals after entering the match seven minutes before his opening strike.

It was Mbappe's fifth hat-trick in the Champions League — and second this season. He also scored three times against Kazakh outfit Kairat in the second round of the league phase. Two of his hat-tricks came with Paris Saint-Germain.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have eight hat-tricks each in the Champions League, while Robert Lewandowski has six.

Mbappe now leads the Champions League in scoring this season with nine goals, three more than Galatasaray's Victor Osimhen. It's already Mbappe's best Champions League tally in a season. He has 22 goals in 18 matches with Madrid this campaign.

"The important thing was to win, to break the cycle, to feel that feeling," said Real coach Xabi Alonso. "The three points were also important, to be in the top eight. It was competitive and hard-fought, but we needed it.

"In the Champions League, there are moments for everything, just like in the league. I really liked that at 1-0 down we didn't lose our heads, we played calmly and maturely and turned it around. We are back to winning ways, and we won in Greece for the first time."

He also had special praise for his top scorer.

"Mbappe is very important, that goes without saying," Alonso said. "His goals are fundamental, but that's not all. His personality ... teamwork, unity."

Mbappe's goals helped Madrid end a three-game winless streak across all competitions, and moved the Spanish powerhouse to fifth place in the league-phase standings of the Champions League.

"It was important to win again," Mbappe said. "Three matches without a victory is a lot for us. We had to win to make sure we stay in the top eight, which is the goal for us now."

Agencies