Balde Keita netted a five-minute hat-trick as Lazio hammered Palermo 6-2 in Sunday’s Serie A encounter at the Stadio Olimpico.
It seemed like it was going to be Ciro Immobile’s game in the early stages, with the Italy international opening the scoring in the eighth minute, before doubling his side’s lead barely 90 seconds later.
Keita then stepped up, though, and found the net three times within five minutes to take his tally for 2016-17 to 11 goals in 27 league outings.
The 22-year-old got his first goal in the 21st minute when he fired home from close range after Stefan de Vrij had headed the ball into his path after a corner, then made it 4-0 when he converted a penalty, before completing his hat-trick in the 26th minute with a left-footed shot after some good work from Immobile.
Lazio took their feet off the gas after the break to allow Palermo back in the game, with Andrea Rispoli netting twice early in the second half to make it 5-2.
There would not be a miraculous comeback, however, with Luca Crecco having the final say in the dying minutes of the game as Lazio returned to winning ways after collecting just one point from their last two fixtures.
Sunday’s win sees Lazio leapfrog Atalanta into fourth place in the table on 64 points from 33 games.
