Aduriz nets five as Athletic Bilbao beat Genk

Aritz Aduriz became the first player since 1994 to score five times in a Europa League match as he netted all of Athletic Bilbao’s goals in a thrilling 5-3 victory over Genk.

Fabrizio Ravanelli was the last man to achieve a five-goal haul in Europe’s second-tier competition and Spain striker Aduriz has now doubled his tally in all competitions for the campaign. 

The 35-year-old opened the scoring early on at San Mames, before sealing a first-half hat-trick with two well-taken penalties.

5 – Prior to Aduriz the last player to score five goals in a UEFA Cup / EL game was Fabrizio Ravanelli in 1994 vs CSKA Sofia. Fox.

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) November 3, 2016

Genk, who had pulled one back earlier on through the impressive Leon Bailey, moved to within one of Athletic after half-time courtesy of Wilfred Ndidi.

But Aduriz quickly restored the hosts’ two-goal cushion and, after Tino-Sven Susic had netted Genk’s third, he capped his sensational display with another successful spot-kick in stoppage time as all five of his shots on target resulted in goals.

5 – Aritz Aduriz scored five goals from just five shots on target against Genk. Conversion pic.twitter.com/7QCE7Cg1Tw

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) 3 November 2016

The victory lifts Athletic – currently seventh in LaLiga – up to second place in Group F with two games remaining.

5 – Aritz Aduriz is the first Spanish player to score five goals in a single European game (since 1971). Repoker pic.twitter.com/DwukKL0iKn

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) November 3, 2016