Estéban Lepaul arrived to the post-match interview with the match ball. He was awarded the Man of the Match trophy. But it was a muted celebration after the Rennes forward's team fell 4-3 to Paris FC.
It's the first time since 1992 that a Ligue 1 player scored three goals from the spot in the same match, with Lepaul matching Toulon's Leonardo Rodríguez.
The fourth penalty awarded in the match would prove to be the difference, with Lassine Sinayoko converting in the 97th minute and helping Paris match the number of wins and point total of neighbor Paris Saint-Germain atop the table. PSG maintains the Ligue 1 lead only on goals scored.
Lepaul may take more than just the trophies as consolation. He currently leads Ligue 1 in goals, having seven to
his name after the three in the losing effort. Earlier this fall, he was called to the France national team for the first time by manager Zinedine Zidane. And the northwestern France side is keeping focus on the Europa League, preparing for an Oct. 22 trip to Turin where it will face Juventus.
Rennes sits fifth in Ligue 1 after the defeat to Liam Rosenior's squad, but won and drew its first Europa League matches of the tournament as it seeks a place in the knockout stage.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: French soccer player scores hat trick of penalties in losing effort
