Betis legend hits treble at age of 38 years and 140 days
Sunday 8 December 2019 20:48, UK
Real Betis winger Joaquin needed only 20 minutes to score his first career hat-trick on Sunday, becoming the oldest player to net a treble in La Liga.
The 38-year-old's early blitz led host Betis to a 3-2 win over Athletic Bilbao.
"It's the first hat trick of my life. I don't think it's going to happen again," said Joaquin, who broke the record set by the legendary Alfredo Di Stefano, who was 37 years and 255 days old when he scored a hat-trick for Real Madrid in 1964.
"I've never been a goal-scorer throughout my career, so I'm really proud to be able to get three goals against a rival like Athletic. Considering my age, it's not an easy thing to do."
At age of 38 years and 140 days, Joaquin became the oldest player to score a La Liga hat-trick.
He scored with a shot from near the penalty spot, then hit a well-placed curling shot into the far corner, and completed the hat-trick from inside the area following a breakaway.
He came close to adding a fourth in second-half stoppage time, but his close-range strike was saved by Athletic goalkeeper Unai Simn.
Striker Angel Rodrguez scored a second-half winner seven minutes after coming off the bench to give Getafe a 1-0 win at Eibar.
The win left the Madrid club in fifth place, immediately behind the final qualification spot for the Champions League. Getafe finished fifth last season and qualified for the Europa League.
Three goals were disallowed by video review, two for Getafe and one for Eibar, which has lost four in a row and dropped to 16th place, two points from the relegation zone.
Real Sociedad missed a chance to move closer to the top after a 0-0 draw at Valladolid.
