Hakimi Hat-Trick: PSG‘s 5-1 Destruction of Le Havre Changes Everything
Hakimi hat-trick. The right-back scored three goals as PSG demolished Le Havre 5-1 on Friday. It was the first treble of his professional career. And it came at a time when PSG needed someone to step up.
PSG were supposed to be in crisis. Dembele was injured. Kvaratskhelia was out with an ACL tear. Marquinhos was sidelined. The Ligue 1 title race was tightening. And they were away at Le Havre, a team fighting relegation.
Instead, they produced their most complete performance of the season. And it came from the most unlikely source.
The Match: From 1-0 Down to 5-1 Up
Le Havre took the lead in the 18th minute through Josh Maja. For a moment, it looked like PSG’s injury crisis might finally catch up with them .
It took PSG eight minutes to equalise. Mika Godts scored in the 26th. Two minutes later, Hakimi put them ahead. By half-time, it was 2-1 and the game was already turning .
The second half was a demonstration. Hakimi scored his second in the 55th minute from a direct free kick. Senny Mayulu added a fourth in the 62nd. And Hakimi completed his hat-trick in the 69th, capping a performance that no one saw coming .
Hakimi’s Hat-Trick Is a Warning to the Rest of Europe
Hakimi is a right-back. He is not supposed to score hat-tricks. He is supposed to defend, overlap, cross, and occasionally finish. But against Le Havre, he was the most dangerous attacker on the pitch.
His first goal was a finish from open play. His second was a free kick, struck with the precision of a specialist. His third was the culmination of a move he started and finished. It was the first hat-trick of his professional career, and it came at a time when PSG needed someone to step up .
With Dembele out for weeks and Kvaratskhelia potentially out for the season, PSG need goals from unexpected places. Hakimi just proved he can provide them.
Enrique’s Masterstroke: “He’s a Striker When We Have the Ball”
Luis Enrique has been giving Hakimi the freedom to attack for years. But after the match, he explained the exact terms of that freedom.
“He’s a striker when we have the ball,” Enrique said. “He’s free to do that when we are in possession, but obliged to defend when we aren’t” .
It is a simple philosophy, but it explains everything. Hakimi is not a rogue full-back. He is not abandoning his defensive duties. He is playing within a system that encourages him to attack, as long as he fulfils his responsibilities when PSG lose the ball.
Enrique went further. “He is the best right-back in the world,” he said. “His three goals do not excite me as much as it pleases me to see him deliver consistent performances at the highest level” .
That is high praise from a manager who has won everything. But Hakimi has earned it.
My Take: The Hakimi Hat-Trick Is What Makes PSG Dangerous
Everyone will talk about the injury crisis. They will talk about Dembele’s thigh, Kvaratskhelia’s ACL, Marquinhos’s muscle. They will say PSG are vulnerable.
They are not vulnerable. They are adaptable.
Luis Enrique has built a team that does not depend on one player. When Dembele is out, Hakimi scores. When Kvaratskhelia is out, Mayulu steps in. When Marquinhos is out, the defence holds. That is not luck. That is structure.
And it is terrifying for the rest of Europe. Because when PSG’s stars return, they will have a right-back who just scored a hat-trick, a young forward who has proven he belongs, and a squad that has learned to win without its best players.
That is a team built for the Champions League. That is a team that can beat anyone.
What Happens Next
PSG sit top of Ligue 1 with 20 points, six wins, two draws, and one loss . The title race is not over, but the gap is growing.
Their next challenge is the Champions League. And with Hakimi in this form, they have an attacking weapon that no one prepared for.
Le Havre, meanwhile, remain at the bottom of the table with two points. They were never supposed to win this match. But they were not supposed to be destroyed by a right-back either.
