By Tum Balogun for Mailonline
09:24 November 10, 2023, updated 09:33 November 10, 2023
- Luis Suarez has been in excellent form since moving to Gremio in January this year
- The Uruguayan has been linked with a move to Inter Miami and a Messi reunion
- What is the WORST Premier League hat-trick? – Find out at It’s All Coming Up
Luis Suarez rolled back the years with a 19-minute hat-trick as Gremio earned a thrilling comeback win in a top-of-the-table clash against Botafogo.
The visitors found themselves 3-1 down at the start of the second half after Marlon Freitas’ effort extended Botafogo’s lead which had been won by goals from former Chelsea striker Diego Costa and Junior Santos.
Fogo were hoping to end a dismal run of three successive defeats that had seen them lose their grip on their league stranglehold, but they conceded within just four minutes of Freitas’ strike.
Suarez then doubled his tally three minutes later, leveling the tie and swinging the momentum in his side’s favour. The former Barcelona and Liverpool star then grabbed the winner after running onto a through ball which he headed into the corner.
The win saw Gremio join their hosts on 59 points at the top of Brazil’s Serie A. Next to the pair are Palmeiras, also level on points, while Bragantino are just a point behind.
In fact, after 32 games, just five points separate the division’s top six teams in what is shaping up to be a thrilling conclusion to the league season.
It is the turnaround for Fogo, who earned an immediate return to Brazil’s top flight last season after being relegated in 2021.
Suarez has been in impressive form since moving to the Porto Alegre-based club in January, scoring 14 goals and providing 10 assists in 28 league outings.
The Uruguayan has been linked with a move to Inter Miami in recent months, allowing him to reunite with friend and former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi.
According to ESPNthe MLS club has already agreed to a deal with the forward, who will sign a one-year deal with an option for a second.
Gremio manager Renato Gaucho confirmed last month that the striker would leave the Brazilian club in December – at the end of the Serie A season.
Suarez has also previously admitted that the Herons contacted his club midway through the year.