5 retired players who scored 4 goals in a Champions League game
The Champions League is undoubtedly the greatest European competition ever, with clubs battling it out every year for qualification. To participate in it is a great opportunity, even more so to score goals on these special European nights. Over the course of history, we've had some special individual performances lighting up the big stage.
Not many have scored 4 goals in a Champions League game
An even more elite group is that of the 16 players who have scored four or more goals in a single Champions League match. Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, Cristiano Ronaldo and recently Sebastien Haller are some of the active players who have achieved the same.
Only two players in Champions League history have scored four goals on their UCL debut:
◉ Marco van Basten (1992)
◉ Sébastien Haller (2021)
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However, on this list we take a look at five retired players who scored four goals in a single Champions League game back in the day:
#5 Simone Inzaghi
While the world probably knows more about his brother Filippo Inzaghi, Simone Inzaghi owns a record that his sibling doesn't have. He scored four goals in a Champions League match for Lazio against Marseille during the second group stage of the 1999-00 edition of the tournament.
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Playing as a striker for a host of clubs, Inzaghi is mostly remembered for his time at Lazio. He spent more than a decade at the club, helping them win the Scudetto during the 1999-00 season. He finished that season's Champions League campaign with nine goals in 11 games. Inzaghi is currently the manager of Inter Milan and has been in charge at the club since the start of the ongoing season.
#4 Mario Gómez
Mario Gómez has had a career with plenty of glorious moments, scoring four times in a Champions League match in the 2011-12 season being one of them. The former Bayern Munich striker netted four goals in a 7-0 win against Basel in the Round of 16 second leg, overcoming a 1-0 deficit from the first. Bayern ultimately went reached the final in Munich, eventually losing out to Chelsea on penalties.
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⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️ Mario Gomez scores 4 goals as Bayern record their biggest ever win in the knockout stages...
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The German international has led the line for various clubs, scoring in abundance everywhere. He really hit his prime at Bayern, helping them win seven trophies, most notably the Champions League in 2013. Gómez was also an everpresent figure in the national team, featuring in five major tournaments for them. He has found the net 31 times for Germany and finished as top-scorer in Euro 2012.