Marcus Rashford overtakes Kylian Mbappe to set new Champions League record

PSG's Kylian Mbappe, United's Marcus Rashford [Courtesy]

Marcus Rashford became the quickest player to net a hat-trick from the bench in Champions League history on Wednesday evening.

The Manchester United forward was introduced with the scoreline at 1-0 against RB Leipzig, after Mason Greenwood's first half strike had given the hosts the lead.

Rashford was introduced on minute 63 and bagged his first goal exactly 11 minutes later. Four minutes on and the 22-year-old had the ball in the back of the net again.

The United man, who has been making headlines off the pitch thanks to his his terrific child food poverty petition, could have had his hat-trick even quicker.

United won a penalty in the 87th minute but Rashford generously let team-mate Anthony Martial take it. It was the Frenchman's first goal of the season.

But Rashford still got his hat-trick with Martial repaying the favour to set him up in the dying minutes.

The United man managed to get his hat-trick in 27 minutes, a record from the bench in the Champions League.

Kylian Mbappe held the record previously with 38 minutes, Walter Pandiani before him with 44 and Joseba Llorente now becomes the fourth fastest man to net a hat-trick from the bench in 45 minutes.

Football - Champions League - Group H - Manchester United v RB Leipzig - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - October 28, 2020. Manchester United's Marcus Rashford celebrates with the match ball after the match. [REUTERS/Phil Noble]

Speaking after the game, Rashford explained what Solskjaer told him before coming on.


"I think the manager wanted me to up the tempo," he said. "That for us means going forward. There was definitely spaces there. We got Bruno and Paul on the ball. We looked dangerous throughout and that we could score every time we went forward.

"It was a real team performance. The ones who started did well and the substitutes did well too. We can't ask for much more than that in terms of the attitude and the intent to go and kill the game off. It worked in our favour.

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