Leven Kurzawa is the only defender to score a hat-trick in the Champions League
Scoring 3 goals in one match is not an easy task even for a top striker, especially when it comes to the Champions League.
Today’s football results of matches of this tournament are easy to follow on the trusted website.
In such games, players have the great responsibility, which makes individual achievements more valuable.
In the first 30 years of the Champions League, many players scored hat-tricks. Yes, it happens irregularly, but given the intensity of matches, such achievements happened.
However, only once did a defender manage to score a hat-trick. It was Levan Kurzava.
The PSG defender managed to score three goals in the game against Anderlecht, with whom his team fought in the group stage of the Champions League in the season 2017/18.
In the same game, PSG confidently defeated their opponent with the score of 5:0. Kurzawa’s hat-trick was a real sensation. Such an achievement was expected from Neymar or Cavani.
However, unexpectedly for everyone, the side defender had perhaps the best match in his career.
Kurzawa has always been a good footballer, but he often lacked stability. Therefore, he didn’t become a big star in PSG.
Yes, with Unai Emery, he was the main performer, but after the departure of the Spaniard, his role in the team gradually declined.
However, the unique achievement set by the defender will forever remain in the sports history.
What helped Kurzawa make that hat-trick?
A hat-trick by a defender, even in the Champions League, is always a coincidence of various reasons.
Therefore, in the first 30 years of the tournament history, it happened only once. By the way, now you can find out today’s important football results and closely follow all matches of this tournament.
Among other Kurzawa’s achievements, it is worth highlighting:
- Weaknesses of the opponent. In the season 2017/18, Anderlecht was not among the giants of the European football. PSG’s lineup turned out to be noticeably stronger and the team reasonably proved its superiority on the field.
- Attacking position of the player himself. In that match, Kurzawa played more as a midfielder. Because of this, he paid more attention to the attacks of his team. In addition, he regularly got chances to break through, which he repeatedly took advantage of.
- Help of partners. PSG had a really cool squad back then. Marquinhos, Neymar, Verratti, and Di Maria are just a small list of the team’s stars who helped the defender set a unique record.
In general, that season in the Champions League was not very successful for the team, because Real Madrid kicked it out already at the1/8 of the final stage.
