Former Liverpool and Atletico Madrid forward Luis Suarez marked his Gremio debut in style by bagging a rapid first-half hat-trick on Tuesday night.
Suarez, 35, joined the Brazilian outfit earlier this month following a stint with his boyhood club Nacional.
The veteran forward, who penned a two-year deal following Uruguay’s exit from the World Cup last month, netted eight times in 14 outings to fire Nacional to the Uruguayan title last season but was always expected to seek a new challenge once his deal was up.
Gremio also enjoyed a successful campaign last season after earning promotion to Brazil’s Serie A – and Suarez’ instant impact led them to more glory in the form of the Recopa Gaucha Super Cup.
Suarez opened his account after just four minutes with composed chip, only for Sao Luiz to hit back almost instantly. Bitello restored Gremio’s lead before Suarez put the result beyond doubt with two more goals to seal a 4-1 win: a trademark finish and rasping volley.
Tuesday night’s haul is the first time the veteran has bagged a treble since he plundered four goals in a single game against Norwich during his spell at Liverpool. And he admitted that it was probably his best ever debut, topping the two-goal cameo he produced on his debut for Atletico Madrid.
Suarez’ performance, unsurprisingly, left Gremio coach Renato purring. Speaking after the match, he said: “It couldn’t have been better his debut. The fans believe in him, so are we. He showed what he came for. He quickly made it into the group because he’s a very humble person. He doesn’t want the highlights or perks, he just want to be like everyone else.”
