Yasser Zoubiri fires Racing Santander to victory with remarkable 21-minute treble

Yasser Zoubiri scored three times in 21 minutes on his first start for Racing Santander to secure a 3-2 win over Elche and give his side their first victory of the season.

The young Morocco striker made an immediate impact in the Spanish league, scoring all three goals during an extraordinary first half. His performance, reported by Spanish newspaper Sport, marked a decisive introduction to the Racing Santander starting line-up and offered a strong indication of his potential.

Zoubiri opened the scoring by pressing Elche’s goalkeeper into making a mistake. He won possession from the error before calmly finishing into the empty net.

His second goal demonstrated a different side of his attacking game. The forward met a low cross inside the penalty area and applied a left-footed finish to double Racing Santander’s advantage.

He completed his hat-trick with a powerful scissor-kick effort that Elche goalkeeper Dituro could not keep out. The three goals arrived in quick succession and gave Racing Santander a lead they managed to protect despite Elche’s response.

The performance continues a remarkable period for Zoubiri, who was born in Marrakech and played a prominent role in Morocco’s success at the Under-20 World Cup in Chile. He scored five goals during the tournament, including both of Morocco’s goals in the final against Argentina, as the country won its first world title at that age group.

His goals against Elche also highlighted the range of qualities he can offer in attack. Zoubiri is capable of moving away from the penalty area, exploiting space behind defenders and leading the press, while also showing composure when chances arrive inside the box.

Although he is used as a central striker, the 20-year-old is not restricted to waiting for the final pass. His movement, work without the ball and preference for his left foot give him several ways to influence a match.

French club Rennes signed Zoubiri in February for 10m euros. He subsequently joined Racing Santander on loan without an option to buy, with the move designed to provide him with more playing time and experience in Spanish football.

The striker had found regular opportunities difficult to secure during the early stages of his career in France. His instant success in Spain could now make the loan spell an important stage in his development, whether he remains with Racing Santander or returns to Rennes.

Zoubiri’s treble also brought a notable entry in Racing Santander’s record books. He became the club’s first player to score a hat-trick in the Spanish league since Tchite achieved the feat during the 2008-09 season.

After just one start, Zoubiri has already made his mark on the club, while his goals gave Racing Santander an important lift at the beginning of the campaign.