Hat Trick

Sitting fourth in La Liga and bounced in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals, Real Madrid heads into Wednesday’s Champions League Round of 16 first leg tie against Paris Saint-Germain a wounded animal. 

Well, we know which way the wind was blowing for Rangers in their 3-0 victory over Fraserburgh Wednesday. It was blowing in the direction of Josh Windass.

Watch him wind up and bury a penalty for his first goal of the day.

Valencia eased into the Copa del Rey quarterfinals with a 4-0 victory over Las Palmas at the Mestalla on Tuesday, the Cup match playing out entirely like La Liga’s third-place side going up against the club in 20th. Valencia’s Luciano Vietto, who’s on loan at Los Che from Atletico Madrid, scored an amazing hat-trick of ever-increasing quality to lead the way.

The 24-year-old Argentinian gave Valencia a 1-0 advantage (2-1 on aggregate) in the 30th minute with a side-footed finish on the rebound after Simone Zaza’s header was miraculously saved by Raul Lizoain. 

American-born defender Eric Lichaj had a deal with his wife: Score a hat trick and she will finally let him get a dog. The Nottingham Forest defender came oh so close to scoring a hat trick against Arsenal during the FA Cup on Sunday. After Lichaj asked Twitter to bombard his wife with dog memes, she caved. Eric Lichaj finally has a dog. 

Southampton were more than obliging opponents for all good things Tottenham on Tuesday, allowing Spurs to run rampant at Wembley while securing a multitude of accolades. Harry Kane scored goals number 37, 38 and 39 of the 2017 Premier League calendar year, breaking Alan Shearer’s record from 1995. The goals also pushed Kane three above Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah in the race for the 2017-18 EPL Golden Boot.

Wayne Rooney is already feeling the Sam Allardyce effect. Everton's creaky old prodigal son scored a hat trick in his first performance in front of the new boss. First impressions are very important, and Wayne Rooney clearly knows that.

Granted, Everton were playing West Ham who are terrible, but level of competition doesn't matter when you can do this:

Make it back-to-back hat-tricks for 17-year-old Liverpool talent Rhian Brewster at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India. After hitting the United States for three in England’s 4-1 victory in the quarterfinals, the London-born striker again found the back of the net thrice, this time in the Three Lions’ 3-1 victory over Brazil in the semifinals.

Brewster, who scored on his Liverpool U-23 debut back in January, now leads the tournament’s Golden Boot race with seven goals. He also bravely struck the first penalty in England’s Round of 16 shootout triumph over Japan.