The four players to score back-to-back CL hat-tricks: Messi, Benzema…
It takes something special to score a hat-trick in the Champions League. But to do so in back-to-back games? That’s something else entirely.
In fact, it’s a feat that’s only ever been achieved by four players – three of whom are undisputed legends of European football. Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski surprisingly isn’t one of them, but if you were to make educated guesses on the other names, you’d probably be right.
Here are the four players to have scored three or more goals in successive Champions League games.
Karim Benzema
Didn’t think King Karim could match his incredible hat-trick in Madrid’s remontada against PSG?
Chelsea found out he’s just that good. Benzema is on fire this season.
READ: These 10 incredible stats prove how ridiculous Benzema’s Madrid form is
Cristiano Ronaldo
It’s no surprise to see Ronaldo’s name feature here, is it? He’s scored more goals in competitive matches than any player in history and is the all-time top scorer in the history of Real Madrid, the European Cup and international football.
He was arguably at his peak during Real Madrid’s 2016-17 campaign – that year he scored 42 in all competitions, including 25 in La Liga and 12 in the Champions League – as Los Blancos won both the league and Champions League together for the first time since the 1950s.
The Portuguese icon scored three in a 4-2 victory over Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals and just a fortnight later scored all three in a 3-0 victory over Atletico Madrid.
Prior to his former team-mate Benzema’s heroics against Chelsea and PSG, this was the only time in Champions League history that a player scored hat-tricks in successive knockout games.
ON THIS DAY IN 2016:
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Atlético and became the top scorer in the Madrid derby.
Exactly 5 years ago, Cristiano Ronaldo destroyed Atletico Madrid at Vicente Calderon and brought the Royal Club a 0-3 victory.pic.twitter.com/ywzkceVo7e
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) November 19, 2021
Lionel Messi
Tied with Ronaldo as the player with the most hat-tricks in the history of the Champions League with eight, two of Messi’s came during the 2016-17 group stage.
The Argentina international scored three of La Blaugrana’s goals as they kicked off the campaign with a brutal 7-0 victory over Celtic.
He was then absent as Luis Enrique’s side beat Borussia Monchengladbach 2-1 away from home, but he returned to score three in a 4-0 mauling of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
That proved to be an underwhelming season for Messi and the Catalan club. They won the Copa del Rey, and produced some memorable displays – not least their 6-1 remontada against PSG – but had to stomach seeing Madrid win the league and the Champions League.
🗓️ Leo Messi hit a hat-trick as Barcelona put four past Man. City #OTD in 2016! 🔥#UCL | @FCBarcelona pic.twitter.com/H38CR6Ls2F
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 19, 2020
Luiz Adriano
The Brazilian isn’t quite as glamorous as the other names here, but to be fair, he’d always struggle to match three of the four top scorers in the history of the European Cup.
Luiz Adriano was absolutely ruthless for Shakhtar Donetsk when they came up against perennial Belarusian champions in the 2014-15 group stage.
Shakhtar won the first meeting 7-0, with the forward contributing five – he’s only the second player after Messi (against Bayer Leverkusen in 2012) to do so in a Champions League game.
The Ukrainian side were just as dangerous in the return fixture as they went to Belarus and won 5-0 – three of which were courtesy of Luiz Adriano.
BATE must have been sick to the back teeth of him.
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