Red-hot Asisat Oshoala bags third hat-trick of the season in four games for Barcelona

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Nigeria international Asisat Oshoala scored her third hat-trick of the season in four consective matches as Barcelona pummeled Real Betis 7-0 in Sunday’s Spanish Liga F encounter at Estadi Johan Cruyff.

The Super Falcons vice captain had earlier notched treble twice this season, with the first in a 7-0 win over Levante Las Planas before the second coming from Granadilla Tenerife

After a 3-0 lead for Barcelona, substitute Nigerian forward only needed two minutes of action after she replaced Ana Maria Crnogorcevic to get her name on the scoresheet when she scored the fourth in the 61st minute.

Before Oshoala’s strike, Geyse opened the scoring for the Catalan side in the 14th minute as Keira Walsh double Jonatan Giraldez’s side’s lead in the 38th minute aand Claudia Pina made it 3-0 three minutes after the restart.

Oshoala made it 4-0 on the hour-mark as she tapped into an empty net a Fridolina Rolfo’s cross from the left wing before Mariona Caldentey converted the hosts’ fifth goal in the 64th minute.

13 minutes later, another cross from Rolfo set up Oshoala who scored her second goal of the game before the five-time African Player of the year completed her hat-trick in the additional minutes.

The former FC Robo Queens player replaced Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic in the 59th minute before scoring her second-half hat trick. The latest treble takes her goal tally to 17 this season and also extends her scoring to seven consecutive games as well as moved to the top of the goal scorers’ chart – a goal ahead of Levante’s Redondo Ferer.

Barcelona maintain their leadership at the summit with 54 points from 18 league games and up next for Oshoala and 2021 European champions is an away clash with Osinachi Ohale’s Deportivo Alaves on February 11.