Hellas Verona’s number one threat in Fiorentina’s upcoming Serie A match on Saturday is someone with a very remarkable record: the player with the fastest hat-trick ever scored in the history of UEFA competitions.

After joining Verona on loan from Hoffenheim, Gift Orban arrived in Italy with a very clear mission: regaining the continuity that had made him one of the most promising players in African football. Back when he used to play for Gent, in Belgium, he had enchanted Europe by scoring 30 goals in his first season, which drew the attention of many major clubs. However, after that very successful season, expectations have cooled.

Despite that, Orban has found his space at Verona. Moreover, he has been given more responsibility up front following the transfer of Giovane to Napoli. The Nigerian did not back down: today he has become a team leader and is currently Verona’s top-scoring player as well as the one with the most assists, totaling seven goals and two assists.

The number 16 is not a physical player who muscles his way through the opposing defense. Orban is a dynamic player who makes up for his lack of physicality with his impressive speed. While he is able to take powerful shots from outside the box and, thanks to his speed, getting in behind the opposition defense to create many goal-scoring chances, the Nigerian forward has often failed to capitalize on his chances this season. If one looks at his stats, in spite of having scored seven goals, his expected goals suggest that this figure should be at least 11.

Despite these shortcomings, on a good day Orban can turn into a nightmare for anyone, as is shown by the list of Serie A teams he has scored against: Juventus, Napoli and Bologna, as well as Fiorentina, which conceded a brace from him in the first half of this season.