Barcelona forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has made history after becoming the first player to score hat-tricks in four of Europe’s top leagues in the 21st century.
The Gabonese international netted three times in Barca’s 4-1 victory against Valencia on Sunday, Febryary 20, in his third appearance for the Catalans.
The three-goal showing means that Aubameyang is the first player since the turn of the century to score hat-tricks in the Premier League, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, and now LaLiga.
Barca’s fourth goal at the Mestalla was originally assigned to Pedri, but has since been changed to the Gabonese striker.
Aubameyang’s first hat-trick in European football came while playing for Saint-Etienne in February 2012 against Lorient, where he netted three times just two months after signing permanently with the Ligue 1 club.
On his Bundesliga debut against FC Augsburg, he scored a memorable hat-trick including a goal from his first shot in the league. Then, after joining Arsenal in January 2018 for a reported £56million, Aubameyang had to wait over three years for a Premier League hat-trick.