After putting Anderlecht to the sword with a hat-trick for Olympiakos on Champions League matchday two, striker Kostas Mitroglou will be the subject of many a search engine’s workload.
After making a flying start to the current campaign, many punters searching for a punt in the Champions League top scorer race could do worse than siding with the 33/1 shot, and here’s why:
A developing appetite for hat-tricks
The 24-year-old Greek has been a predatory scorer for a couple of seasons now, so much so that his devoted flock of fans have christened him “Mitrogoal”, but he has rarely scored more than once in a game, until now.
His Anderlect treble was the third time he’s gone home with the match ball already this season and he’s only played seven times in all club competitions. With a home game to play against the humbled Belgians and two bouts with Benfica still to come there’s certainly scope for Mitroglou to stay near the top of the scoring charts.
Impressive scoring record
The former Borussia Monchengladbach trainee boasts a healthy goalscoring record in the Greek Superleague since the 2010/11 season.
He joined Panionios on a six-month loan deal during that campaign and bagged eight goals in just 11 appearances. Atromitos borrowed him the following year and again reaped the rewards from his ability, as the Kavala native plundered 16 goals in 28 matches.
That Atromitos tally was matched on his return to Olympiakos last term and he’s once again begun hot, notching nine goals in seven games so far.
Viable chance of group progression
Olympiakos currently sit second in Group C after two games, level on points with Benfica.
Should the Greeks outmuscle the Eagles over the upcoming two games then they stand a real chance of finishing second in the group and progressing to the next round. While they may draw a European giant next in that instance, it will provide Mitroglou with two more games to add to his tally.
