The Malta Independent on Sunday
Substitute Gameiro scores 3 for Atletico in 6 minutes
Substitute Kevin Gameiro scored three goals in a sixminute span to power Atletico Madrid to a 4-1 win at Sporting Gijon in the Spanish league yesterday.
The Spanish league says that only Brazil's Bebeto in the 199596 season and David Villa in 2005-2006 have scored faster hat tricks in the competition.
Gameiro had scored six goals in 21 previous league appearances this season, with Fernando Torres starting in recent weeks.
But with Torres misfiring and Atletico struggling to break the deadlock at 1-1, coach Diego Simeone sent Gameiro on in the 62nd minute at El Molinon Stadium.
The French striker put the visitors back in front in the 80th when he received Antoine Griezmann's brilliant sidefooted pass and rounded the goalkeeper to score.
Gameiro fired in a second goal only a minute later and got his hat trick when he received a long ball behind the defense in the 85th.
Gameiro dedicated the trick to his grandmother.
"We lost her this week and I have been thinking a lot about her. The three goals are for her," he said.
Atletico's Yannick Carrasco opened the scoring seconds after halftime, but Sergio Alvarez leveled for Sporting mohat ments later.
Sporting remained the more aggressive team and had Atletico pinned in its area until Griezmann found Gameiro to turn the match around.
Atletico remained in fourth place at one point behind Sevilla and seven points behind leader Real Madrid.
Real on their part defeated Espanyol 2-0 with an Alvaro Morata first half goal and a second half goal from Morata’s substitue Gareth Bale.
La Liga
PW D L F A Pts Real Madrid 21 16 4 1 56 18 52 Barcelona 22 14 6 2 61 18 48 Sevilla 22 14 4 4 44 28 46 Atl. Madrid 23 13 6 4 43 19 45 Real Sociedad 22 13 2 7 36 31 41 Villarreal 22 9 9 4 29 15 36 Eibar 22 10 5 7 36 29 35 Ath Bilbao 22 10 5 7 28 26 35 Espanyol 23 8 8 7 30 31 32 Celta Vigo 21 9 3 9 33 36 30 Alaves 23 7 9 7 22 28 30 Las Palmas 22 7 7 8 31 33 28 Betis 22 6 6 10 22 35 24 Malaga 22 5 8 9 29 36 23 Valencia 21 5 5 11 29 40 20 Deportivo 22 4 7 11 26 35 19 Leganes 22 4 6 12 15 37 18 Gijon 23 4 4 15 25 47 16 Granada CF 23 3 7 13 21 49 16 Osasuna 22 1 7 14 24 49 10