ImageCourtesy: Guardian.com
Eden Hazard was at his best, scoring one and setting up another in a routine win against Stoke City. Cristiano Ronaldo scored 5 for the first time in his career, in a goal fest at the Santiago Bernabeu. Barcelona retained their lead at the top with a scrappy win against Celta De Vigo.
Chelsea were expected to win this relatively easy encounter, but Charlie Adam’s sensational improvised goal from his own half gave the Blues a scare. From the very first minute, Chelsea were attacking mercilessly and Asmir Begovic produced some brilliant saves to deny Loic Remy twice in the opening stages. After intense pressure by the hosts, Stoke City crumbled and Philipp Wollscheid gave away a penalty after he felled Cesc Fabregas. Eden Hazard nonchalantly slotted the penalty right into the center of the net to give his side the lead. In the dying moments of the first-half, Charlie Adam probably scored the goal of the season. After Thibaut Courtois was caught off his line, Adam unleashed a shot from 65 yards out over the scampering Belgian. It was all level at half-time and it was a goal to savor for all football fans.
Diego Costa replaced Oscar at half-time, as the Spaniard wasn’t completely fit to start, but just 11 minutes in, he had to be replaced after tweaking his hamstring. On came Drogba and a few minutes later Loic Remy scored the decisive goal. Begovic clumsily passed the ball to Steven N’Zonzi and Hazard intercepted swiftly, rolling the ball past the charging Begovic to Remy, who tucked the ball into an empty net. Chelsea saw the last 30 minutes out and although the Londoners missed a host of chances, Stoke didn’t make them pay. This win retains Chelsea’s pole position and it will be a miracle if they don’t manage to win the league.
Southampton and Tottenham both missed chances to go past Liverpool in the table after a loss against Everton and stalemate against Leicester respectively.
It was a rampage in the Spanish capital as Real Madrid scored 9 goals against a clueless Granada to record Real’s biggest win since 1967. Real threatened from the beginning and Gareth Bale opened the scoring only after plenty of missed chances. Toni Kroos slid in a ball through the Granada defence and Bale overpowered Deigo Mainz to prance around the rushing ‘keeper and score the opener. Cristiano Ronaldo scored the first of his five, after James cleverly flicked the ball to the Portuguese winger in the box who curled it past the hapless Oier. And 6 minutes later, Ronaldo scored his second after some shady goalkeeping by Oier as he palmed the ball right into the path of Ronaldo who volleyed it home. In the 38th minute Ronaldo completed his hat-trick with a stinging shot across goal and although Oier got both hands on the ball, he couldn’t do anything to keep from going into the back of the net. 8 minutes, that’s what it took Ronaldo to score three goals and there were more to come.
It was Benzema’s turn to get on the scoresheet, when James’s cross was calmly chested by the Frenchman who volleyed it home. In the 54th minute, Ronaldo made it 6-0, after Marcelo’s beautifully weighted pass over the Granada defence made it 3-on-1 and Bale, quite unselfishly, slid the ball to Ronaldo who passed the ball into an empty net. Two minutes later, Benzema scored his second after his shot was deflected past the luckless Oier. The visitors got a goal back when Ibanez surged past the Real defence, slotting the ball past Casillas to make it 7-1. Ronaldo was denied his 5th in the 83rd minute when a Luka Modric’s cross was intercepted by Mainz but the poor centre-back slid it into his own net. But the Portuguese got his goal when he headed the ball into the far post to compound Granada’s misery. But Ancelotti wasn’t too happy after his team ran riot as he later stated – It’s better to win nine games 1-0 than one 9-1. But today we have to point out the good play, the team are back to playing as desired, just like they have played many times before. What mattered most was winning and playing well and we have achieved that.
FC Barcelona didn’t have the best of days as they beat Celta 1-0 in an unconvincing performance. The Catalans were far from impressive and Messi seemed off color in this tricky away encounter. Both sides were wasteful in front of goal and it wasn’t until the 73rd minute that Mathieu soared highest and sent in Xavi’s free-kick in off the crossbar. In the final minutes of the game, Fabian Orellana was sent off throwing a lump of grass at Sergio Busquets. Uncanny indeed!
Meanwhile, in Ligue 1, PSG won a crucial derby against Marseille 3-2, scoring two goals after being 1-2 down at half-time. Andre Pierre-Gignac scored two brilliant goals for his side, but was sent off after the match after the Frenchman approached the referee with crude words.
Tags: Barcelona Chelsea EPL English Premier League Real Madrid
