Lois Openda scored the quickest French league hat trick in 50 years to assist Lens transfer into third place with a 4-0 win over Clermont on Sunday.
Openda struck 3 times in 4 minutes, 30 seconds. According to statistics supplier Opta, that was 4 seconds faster than Matt Moussilou’s treble in Lille’s 8-0 rout of Istres in April 2005.
Lens trails second-place Marseille by a degree and is three factors away from Monaco.
Openda had not scored in his 11 earlier video games in all competitions, however he rediscovered his contact by slipping the ball via the legs of goalkeeper Mory Diaw within the thirty first minute from a good angle.
Hungry for extra, Openda closed down Clermont midfielder Maxime Gonalons, who misplaced possession to Adrien Thomasson within the thirty fourth. A selfless Thomasson arrange Openda, who doubled the lead with a low strike.
The Belgian striker smelled blood once more within the thirty fifth, intercepting a poor again cross from Mateusz Wieteska to spherical Diaw and slot into an empty web for his twelfth league objective this season.
Lens substitute Alexis Claude-Maurice sealed the win within the 76th with a objective arrange by Openda.
It may have been a unique story if Lens middle again Jonathan Gradit had not made a vital block within the twentieth. Clermont winger Aiman Maurer beat goalkeeper Brice Samba, however Gradit cleared the ball off the road.
