JADON SANCHO bagged three goals for Borussia Dortmund on Sunday – but in Germany his trio is not considered a true hat-trick.
In his side’s 6-1 hammering of Paderborn, the England winger marked his first start since the return of the Bundesliga with an awesome second-half display.
Sancho made it 20 goals for the season with his outstanding displayCredit: AP:Associated Press
The fact that all of his goals came in the same period ticks one of the boxes for Germany’s ‘lupenreiner’ – or flawless – hat-trick.
However, it did not meet the condition that the strikes come consecutively, without another player scoring in between.
After Thorgan Hazard’s opener, Sancho scored the next two goals in the 57th and 74th minutes before waiting until stoppage time to complete his day’s work.
But between his second and third goals, Achraf Hakimi and Marcel Schmelzer found the back of the net for Dortmund.
HAARD TO TAKE
The 20-year-old Manchester United transfer target took home the match ball but his efforts failed to meet the impeccably high German standards for such a trio – just as Erling Haaland’s had failed to do in January.
A stunning 23-minute salvo off the bench from Haaland made for a seemingly perfect debut for Borussia Dortmund.
But German football expert Raphael Honigstein explained afterwards that it was no lupenreiner.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “In Germany, for some reason, we don’t consider this a proper hat-trick.
“It needs to be in one half, but also, nobody scoring in between.
“We are so German we don’t consider it a hat-trick.
“Haaland doesn’t care. I saw him going off with the match ball.”
In English football, among others, the closest equivalent to the lupenreiner is the ‘perfect’ hat-trick, scored with one right foot, one left foot and one headed finish.
Sancho revealed a Justice For George Floyd message after his first goalCredit: EPA
Sancho now has a stunning 20 goals and 20 assists for the 2019/20 season.
In celebrating his goal on the weekend, the winger paid an emotional tribute to George Floyd, the African-American killed by a white police officer in the United States.
Sporting stars such as Lewis Hamilton have joined the millions voicing their anger at racial injustice after harrowing footage of Floyd’s death was posted online, with protests held across the US and in London.
Jadon Sancho shows his amazing skill as he trains blindfolded at Dortmund
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
