Robert Lewandowski made Champions League history with his first-half hat-trick in Bayern Munich’s last-16 second leg against Salzburg on Tuesday.
Poland international Lewandowski scored three goals in the opening 23 minutes. It was the earliest in a Champions League game that a player has registered a hat-trick, surpassing Marco Simone’s 24-minute treble for Milan against Rosenborg in 1996.
The 33-year-old put the Bavarian giants in front from the penalty spot in the 12th minute after drawing a foul from Maximilian Wober.
He sent a second spot-kick into the bottom-left corner in the 21st minute after another foul from Wober was upgraded from a free-kick to a penalty following a VAR review.
Lewandowski completed his hat-trick when he bundled home with his thigh after his block of goalkeeper Philipp Kohn’s clearance came back off the post.
It was Lewandowski’s fifth treble in the competition – only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi (both eight) have managed more.