Watch Atletico's Kevin Gameiro score the fastest La Liga hat trick in 22 years
Atletico Madrid's Kevin Gameiro donned his cape and became a super sub in Atletico's much-needed 4-1 win against Sporting Gijon on Saturday.
Knotted up 1-1 well into the second half, Atletico boss Diego Simeone pulled the trigger on a double-switch in the 62nd minute. On came Gameiro, who would score the game-winning hat trick in dramatic fashion.
His first came in the 80th minute after brilliant service from fellow Frenchman Antoine Griezmann.
https://twitter.com/ESbeINSPORTS/status/832947873977217024
There was precious little time for Sporting to regroup, as the 29-year-old would get on the board again a minute later.
https://twitter.com/ESbeINSPORTS/status/832948259110875139
By the 85th minute, Sporting's heads were spinning. And Gameiro wasn't done. He'd notch a third after a long, looped pass to collect his hat trick.
https://twitter.com/ESbeINSPORTS/status/832949037271650304
Stats outfit Opta clocked the hat trick at four minutes and 43 seconds, making it the fastest hat trick in the league since 1995.
With Atletico's title hopes already quite dim, anything less than a full share of the points against relegation-threatened Sporting would be a death knell on that front. The title might be well out of reach, anyway, but there's still the Champions League to play for.
Gameiro's rapid-fire hat trick is a huge boost on that front.
