Zambian forward Patson Daka scored four goals as Leceister City came from two goals down to beat Russian Side, Spartak Moscow 4-3 in the Europa League on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old striker grabbed his first three goals within a space of 9 minutes before registering his fourth in the 78 minutes to become the first Zambian international to score a hat-trick in men’s UEFA club competition, excluding qualifiers.
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⚽️ 54'Patson Daka becomes the first Zambian international to score a hat-trick in men's UEFA club competition, excluding qualifiers. 🇿🇲 pic.twitter.com/BE24mHpTjU
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 20, 2021
Daka was named in the starting lineup for only the second time since his switch as he led the line alongside Kelechi Iheanacho at the Otkrytie Bank Arena in the Russian capital.
Brenden Rogers made two changes to the team that beat Manchester United 4-2 over the weekend, After picking up a hamstring complaint, Timothy Castagne made way for Luke Thomas, while Daka came into the starting XI for Jamie Vardy.
The hosts scored first against the run of play as Alexander Sobolev’s long-range effort was deflected past Kasper Schmeichel in the 11th minute.
City then put Spartak under pressure as James Maddison, Jonny Evans, Çağlar Söyüncü, and Youri Tielemans all came close to leveling matters but the Russian side survived.
Again against the run of play, Spartak Moscow would double their lead when Victor Moses’ cross was drilled into the net by Larsson in the 44th minute.
THE DAKA SHOW – 9 MINUTES OF MAGIC
Almost straight away, Leicester gave themselves a lifeline heading into the break when Iheanacho found Daka with a brilliant ball and the Zambian forward made no mistake as he side-footed past Maksimenko to reduce the deficit, 2-1 at the break.
In the second stanza, Daka needed just three minutes to grab his brace and level the score, Thomas played in Iheanacho on the left flank and the Nigerian played in a fine low cross for Daka to convert inside the six-yard box and finally get Brendan Rodgers’ men back on level terms.
Six minutes later Daka completed his nine-minute hat-trick as Tielemans threaded a ball through to City’s man of the moment to cooly dispatch past Maksimenko to become the first man to net three goals in a single game for the Club on the European stage.
Daka made it 4-2 in the 78th minute finishing off a beauty of a pass from Madison to become the first Leicester City player to score four goals in a single game since Derek Hines in a 6-3 victory over Aston Villa in November 1958.
There was late drama as Sobolev’s second strike of the game, bundled in inside the area, would create a nervous finish, but the Foxes held on to win the match 4-3 and move to four points and second place in Group C.
Leicester is two adrift of log leaders Legia Warsaw. The Polish club, though, is yet to play on matchday three, as they tackle Napoli on Thursday evening.
Brilliant Goals Daka!
Great perfomance and awesome goals
It’s four goals to daka
Daka good player
Show them your size, P D 20.
Great performance
Goodness and favour shall follow you PD
What a performance! May God bless you young man. Great things are yet to come.
🇿🇲 we are proud of you from home
Zed football ⚽ show them you bullets.
He has left moscow in Dakaness
Great performance P.D 20💪
Great performance P.D 20💪
Ulichikali PD20
Well deserved. Patience and endurance has paid off
Congrats PD20
Mwana Wakwitu
Thats was a fantastic goes from partson daka and am interested
Tony Cottee heaped praise on Leicester City’s four-goal hero Patson Daka after his sensational performance in the 4-3 triumph over Spartak Moscow.
More on this story…
Daka: A Very Emotional Night
Magnificent Daka Hits Four As Leicester Roar To Victory In Moscow
We’re A Real Threat, Says Rodgers
– Patson Daka scored all four goals in Leicester City’s UEFA Europa League triumph
– The Foxes defeated Spartak Moscow at Otkrytie Bank Arena to record a first Group C win
– Tony Cottee reflected on the performance during LCFC Radio’s Matchday Live coverage
– The quality of Daka’s movement and finishes was of the highest order, Cottee explained
Strikes in the 45th, 48th, 54th and 78th minutes at Otkrytie Bank Arena were enough for Leicester to seal a crucial Group C win in their third UEFA Europa League fixture of the campaign.
Trailing 2-0 in the first half, the Zambia forward produced a series of neat finishes to net a nine-minute hat-trick and hand the Foxes the advantage, before adding his fourth on a memorable night in Moscow.
Cottee, who played in European competition for the Foxes and was part of LCFC Radio’s Matchday Live coverage on Wednesday afternoon, paid tribute to Daka’s performance in front of goal, while also analysing his movement and positioning.
“He’s made history,” Cottee commented following full-time. “And the quality of his finishes, they were different finishes, but he was in the right place and the right time and showed some real quality as well.
Patson Daka
The Zambian tucked away his first goal of the evening shortly before the interval.
“He’s set a standard for himself going forward. He does his special celebration and he knew that he’d achieved something really good.
“He showed his composure without a doubt. It can be difficult for players sometimes when you almost have too much time. It’s not instinctive, you often see players panicking and not making the right choices.
“The timing of his run, similar to Jamie Vardy, he’s playing on the shoulder of the last defender. It’s a real talent to be able to get as close to that without actually being in an offside position. It’s something that Jamie has done very successfully over the last 10 years.
“I think we’ve seen evidence of that in Daka as well. It’s something that you learn to do. That extra half a yard can make such a difference in terms of the timing of your run. If you can get that slight advantage, it gives you an extra half a yard if you’ve got the talent to go with it, which he has.
“It was an outstanding individual performance.”
I’m praising his runs, but also the absolute quality of some of the passes to get into that position, played into space or played into his feet, he’ll revel with that service. He looks a real find for Leicester.
Tony Cottee on Patson Daka LCFC Radio
The team’s overall attacking display was also commended by Cottee, who saw the contributions of Youri Tielemans and James Maddison as vital in providing Daka with opportunities in front of goal, as he became Leicester City’s joint top goalscorer in European competition.
“It’s hard enough to get a hat-trick in any professional game, let alone get four goals,” the former Foxes forward enthused. “It’s not going to happen too often. It was a fantastic performance in the second half.
“For one player to do that, he was the finisher and there were some great finishes among his goals, but the overall team performance and the passing to get him into those positions, there was some real positives for Brendan [Rodgers] to take into the match coming up at the weekend.
“He’s a goalscorer and he’s come to a club now where he’s going to be surrounded by some quality players. I’m praising his runs, but also the absolute quality of some of the passes to get into that position, played into space or played into his feet, he’ll revel with that service.
“He looks a real find for Leicester.”