Nigerian forward Peter Itodo delivered a standout performance on Wednesday night, scoring his first senior hat-trick to lead Metalist 1925 to a commanding 4-0 win over Veres Rivne in the Ukrainian Premier League.
His display set the tone for a dominant home victory, while Christian Mba added the finishing touch late in the game.
Peter Itodo hat-trick powers Metalist to dominant win
Itodo wasted no time making his presence felt, opening the scoring in the first half with a calm finish after breaking free inside the box.
His movement and sharp decision-making caused constant problems for the Veres defence throughout the game.
The 22-year-old nearly doubled his tally before the break but saw a close effort drift just wide.
He also created chances for teammates, though the visitors managed to keep the scoreline at 1-0 going into halftime.
After the restart, Itodo took full control. In the 56th minute, he latched onto a pass from Denys Antyukh and calmly slotted into an empty net to make it two.
Just four minutes later, he completed his hat-trick in style—picking up the ball from Nicolas Arevalo, driving forward with pace, beating multiple defenders, and finishing with confidence.
The hat-trick marks a major milestone for Itodo, who now has seven league goals this season, alongside an assist.
His recent form has been impressive, with four goals in his last four league matches. He has also contributed five goals in cup competitions, underlining his growing influence.
Mba makes impact as Metalist extend unbeaten run
While Itodo stole the headlines, Christian Mba made his mark after coming off the bench. Introduced in the 64th minute, the Nigerian forward needed just over 22 minutes to get on the scoresheet.
Mba showed good awareness in the 86th minute, arriving at the right place to meet a cut-back from Igor Kogut and finishing first time to seal the 4-0 victory.
It was his second goal of the season, a reward for staying ready despite limited playing time.
The result extends Metalist 1925’s unbeaten run to four matches, with three wins and one draw. The club now sits fourth on the table with 41 points, closing the gap on league leaders LNZ Cherkasy.