Record-breaker Sorloth hits four as Atletico smash Real Sociedad

BARCELONA: Alexander Sorloth hit four goals in the first half-an-hour to power Atletico Madrid to a 4-0 win over Real Sociedad on Saturday in La Liga.

The Norwegian hitman´s quadruple helped Atletico tighten their grip on third place, while La Real slump to 12th. Sorloth completed a hat-trick in the opening 11 minutes, the earliest in La Liga history, beating trebles netted by the 15th minute in 1929 and 1941 by Europa´s Carles Bestit and Valencia´s Mundo respectively.

Atletico coach Diego Simeone has often relied on Sorloth as a super-sub this season but the 29-year-old showed what he can do from the start in a devastating opening period. The former Real Sociedad forward dissected the Basque side, opening the scoring after seven minutes with a lethal finish from Pablo Barrios´ cross. In the 10th minute Sorloth pounced again, this time drilling home from the edge of the box past Alex Remiro´s despairing dive.

The third, in the 11th minute, was gifted to him by comical Real Sociedad defending and the striker gobbled up his chance from close range. Sorloth netted his fourth in the 30th minute with another powerful finish after Javi Galan found him with a low cross.

Earlier, Villarreal maintained their push for Champions League football next season with a late 1-0 win at Girona. The Yellow Submarine, fifth, with the top five qualifying, needed an 89th-minute header from Karl Etta Eyong to snatch victory at the Montilivi against a struggling Girona side.

The Catalans were without coach Michel Sanchez as he is under observation in hospital as a “precaution”, Girona said Friday, against an undisclosed ailment. Villarreal dominated the game but only found a breakthrough when Alfonso Pedraza´s cross found Cameroon-born midfielder Eyong.

Victory puts Villarreal level with fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao on 61 points, four ahead of Real Betis, sixth, who host Osasuna on Sunday. Mallorca, ninth, kept their hopes of European football alive with a 2-1 win over relegated Real Valladolid. On Sunday, La Liga leaders Barcelona face Real Madrid, second, in a mouth-watering Clasico which will be crucial in deciding the Spanish title race.