Simone Zaza hits rapid hat-trick as Valencia thrash Malaga

Image: Valencia's Italian forward Simone Zaza netted a hat-trick

Former West Ham striker Simone Zaza scored a hat-trick inside nine minutes as Valencia routed Malaga 5-0 in LaLiga.

The Italy international, who experienced an ill-fated loan spell with the Hammers last year, struck three times between the 54th and 63rd minutes after Santi Mina had opened the scoring for Valencia, with substitute Rodrigo adding a fifth late on.

Los Che maintained their unbeaten record, though this was their first win in four games, against a Malaga side that have opened their league campaign with five defeats from five.

Zaza had already had one goal disallowed for offside when Mina headed home the 17th-minute opener and it remained 1-0 until the break.

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Zaza's rapid hat-trick then took the game beyond Malaga and he was taken off for Rodrigo, who rounded it off with a fifth after a cheeky back-heeled pass from Goncalo Guedes to set him up.

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