Chelsea continued its newfound English Premier League success on Sunday, capturing a 3-0 victory against Crystal Palace.
Guus Hiddink’s side received some bad news early on when Belgian attacker Eden Hazard was forced out of the match due to injury after just 16 matches of play. Following the match, Hiddink said Hazard sustained a groin problem and that the team would schedule an MRI tomorrow.
The team rebounded comfortably though, opening its scoring account through Oscar in the 29th minute.
Brazilian playmaker Willian stunned the home side at the hour mark, doubling Chelsea’s lead with a cracking effort from outside the penalty area. The 27-year old midfielder then set up teammate Diego Costa six minutes later, sealing the Blues’ win on the afternoon.
Here are some more stories from around Europe:
GRANADA SECURES BIG WIN OVER SEVILLA
In Spain, Granada captured its third win of the season, stunning eighth-place Sevilla, 2-1, at home. Two first-half goals proved to be enough for Jose Ramon Sandoval’s side, although the visitors made it a contest when Vitolo pulled a goal back in the 45th minute.
With their victory, Granada moves out of La Liga’s relegation zone for the time being with 17 points on the campaign. Sandoval’s team sits two points above the bottom three, currently occupied by Sporting Gijon, Rayo Vallecano and Levante.
El Grana will be back in action against Valencia on Jan. 6 in the Copa del Rey, before meeting league leaders Barcelona on Jan. 9.
IBRAHIMOVIC SCORES, PSG SQUEAKS BY WASQUEHAL
The Round of 64 was in full swing this weekend for the French Coupe de France, and Paris Saint-Germain were surprisingly faced with a tough task.
Battling fourth-division side Wasquehal, PSG escaped with 1-0 victory courtesy of Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s header.
Laurent Blanc’s side will be looking to duplicate the club’s accomplishments of a year ago when the Parisians captured the treble, winning Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue. PSG currently sits atop Ligue 1 this season, having opened up a 19-point gap over second place Monaco.
Five more Ligue 1 sides, Lyon, Lorient, Bordeaux, Saint-Etienne and Montpellier, all advanced in Coupe de France matches this weekend.
AYHAN JOINS FRANKFURT ON LOAN FROM SCHALKE
German club Schalke 04 announced on Sunday that Turkish player Kaan Ayhan will join fellow Bundesliga team Eintracht Frankfurt for the remainder of the season on loan.
Kaan, a 21-year-old midfielder and defender, came up within the ranks of Schalke’s youth academy and joined the senior team in 2013. Since becoming a member of the first team, the youngster has made 30 appearances and scored one goal.
Despite being born in Germany, Kaan has represented the Turkish national team at various youth levels. Kaan has most recently played a part with the Turkey Under-21 side.
Here are some scores from today’s matches across Europe’s top divisions:
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
Crystal Palace 0-3 Chelsea
Everton 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur
SPANISH LIGA BBVA
Rayo Vallecano 2-2 Real Sociedad
Granada 2-1 Sevilla
Real Betis 0-4 Eibar
Athletic Bilbao 2-2 Las Palmas
Deportivo La Coruña 1-2 Villareal
Valencia 2-2 Real Madrid
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What did you think of today’s action? Think Hazard’s injury is serious? How long do you expect him to be out?
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