Zoma Scores a Hat Trick: A Dream Start for Klose's Nuremberg Team

With a hat trick, Mohamed Zoma gave 1. FC Nürnberg a dream start to the 2. Bundesliga and further boosted his market value. Already the team’s top scorer last season with 14 goals, Zoma single-handedly led Coach Miroslav Klose’s squad to a well-deserved first three points of the season in Sunday’s 3-0 (2-0) victory over Dynamo Dresden.

After a slow start last season—with just one point from their first five matches—Zoma, following a pass from Finn Ole Becker, secured a perfect debut for Nuremberg as early as the ninth minute.

At least 20 million euros

The 41,622 spectators were kept in suspense for a moment during the 22-year-old’s second goal. Zoma (45’+3) pounced on a rebound off the crossbar following a shot by Tim Janisch. However, due to a suspected offside, the video referee first had to give the green light. Zoma scored his third goal (75') on the rebound after his penalty kick had been saved by goalkeeper Tim Schreiber. It was his second hat trick in Germany.

The agile striker had joined the team a year ago from UC AlbinoLeffe in Italy’s third division. Now, the threshold for a last-minute transfer of Zoma stands at a 20 million euro transfer fee, as Supervisory Board Chairman Peter Meier told “nn.de” just a few days ago.

Dresden never managed to contain Zoma on their right flank. In Nuremberg’s midfield, Adam Markhiev acted as a level-headed playmaker. Even minor coordination issues in the new center-back pairing of Fynn Otto (SC Verl) and Alexios Kalogeropoulos (Olympiacos Piraeus) against a harmless Dresden side were easy to overlook. Five minutes before the end, Zoma was sent off early to the applause of the Nuremberg fans.