Image via Complex Original
December is here. And while for some that means hibernation, for others it signals the start of a frenetic period across the European soccer scene. The Champions League is heading into the final matchday of the group stage this coming week, we just had the first round of mid-week fixtures in the English Premier League, and domestic cup action is starting to heat up.
This week in England, we saw Chelsea lash Tottenham 3-0 at the Bridge, while Steven N’Zonzi’s cracking goal at Old Trafford wasn’t enough to earn Stoke City a point.
In Spain, Real Madrid looked their typical world-beater selves, while Sevilla’s Iago Aspas had a night to remember against Sabadel in the Copa del Rey.
There are several fresh faces among the stars in this week’s countdown, with more than one sensational goal coming from the Polish Elekstraska.
From James Rodriguez and Chicharito’s one-two punch at the Bernabeu to Ayanda Patosi’s Belgian blast, check out The Best Golazos and Skill Moves of the Week.
Alvaro Vazquez’s Cheeky Back-Heel Flick
Date: 12/5/2014
Match: Getafe v. Eibar
Competition: La Liga
Ground: Estadio Coliseum Alfonso Pérez, Getafe, Spain
Getafe smashed three second half goals past Eibar to capture a 3-0 victory on Friday. Vazquez’s tricky finish was certainly the pick of the bunch.
Romelu Lukaku’s Terrific Sliding Finish
Date: 12/3/2014
Match: Everton v. Hull City
Competition: EPL
Ground: Goodison Park, Liverpool, England
Plenty of credit for this goal should go to Kevin Mirallas. The Belgian bursts into the area, shrugs off the challenge from a Hull defender, and tees up Lukaku with a perfectly-angled pass. The Belgian connection was in full effect at Goodison.
Steven N’Zonzi’s First-Time Rocket
Date: 12/2/2014
Match: Manchester United v. Stoke City
Competition: EPL
Ground: Old Trafford, Manchester, England
It wasn’t to be for Stoke City when they took on Manchester United in the first mid-week round of fixtures of the EPL season, but take nothing away from this sensational goal off the foot of Steven N’Zonzi.
Yannick Ferreira Carrasco Whips One Around the Keeper
Date: 12/2/2014
Match: Monaco v. Lens
Competition: Ligue 1
Ground: Stade Louis II, Monaco
Monaco pretty much had all three points in the bag when Ferreira Carrasco scored this 93rd-minute bomb, but a nastier goal from open play you’ll be hard-pressed to find this season in France.
James Finishes Chicharito’s Back-Heel Pass
Date: 12/2/2014
Match: Real Madrid v. Cornella
Competition: La Liga
Ground: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
The two fresh-faced Madridistas combined beautifully for this goal against Cornella on Tuesday. Chicharito doesn’t so much flick the back-heel pass to James as he delicately rolls it to him. And we all know James needs no second invitation to have a go at goal.
Iago Aspas Catches the Keeper Off His Line
Date: 12/3/2014
Match: Sevilla v. Sabadell
Competition: Copa del Rey
Ground: Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, Seville, Spain
It was the Iago Aspas show at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan on Wednesday. The on-loan Liverpool man scored a hat trick in less than five minutes to secure Sevilla’s progression to the next round of the Copa del Rey. This perfectly-measured lob over the keeper was Aspas’ beaut of the bunch, and a 5-1 final on the night meant an 11-2 victory overall on aggregate. Yikes.
Antonio Flores Finds the Top Corner With a Laser
Date: 12/2/2014
Match: Sassuolo v. Pescara
Competition: Coppa Italia
Ground: Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia, Italy
How about this for a match-winner? Floro Flores sent the home crowd into delirium with this strike on 57 minutes. It ended 1-0 Sassuolo on the night, and a day to remember for Flores.
Facundo Pereyra Smashes Home on the Volley
Date: 12/3/2014
Match: Olympiakos v. PAOK
Competition: Greek Super League
Ground: Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, Athens, Greece
This ball seems to take a perfect bounce for Pereyra to hit on the volley, and the PAOK man fully obliges. He catches this one perfectly on the laces, and leaves the keeper grasping at air.
Michael Zyro Doubles Legia’s Advantage With a Thumper
Date: 12/5/2014
Match: Gornik Zabrze v. Legia Warszawa
Competition: Polish Ekstraklasa
Ground: Ernest Pohl Stadium, Zabrze, Poland
Oh me, oh my. What a golazo this was off the boot of Michael Zyro. The 22-year-old Pole doubled the visitor’s advantage on the night, and made sure the effort was worth every minute for the traveling supporters.
Fedor Cernych Opens the Scoring With a Sizzler
Date: 12/6/2014
Match: Belchatow v. Gornik Leczna
Competition: Polish Ekstraklasa
Ground: Stadion GKS, Belchatow, Poland
This Polish top-flight clash would end in a 1-1 draw, but this goal from Ferdor Cernych deserved to be a match winner. He gets all of his weight on that right peg, and slices this one past a diving keeper.
Ayanda Patosi Cracks One From Range
Date: 12/3/2014
Match: Standard Liege v. Lokeren
Competition: Belgian Cup
Ground: Stade Maurice-Dufrasne, Liege, Belgium
Something tells us that the next time Standard Liege go up against Lokeren, they’re going to pay a little more attention to Ayanda Patosi. The South African is given all the time in the world on the ball, and he does not disappoint with the finish. This goal would prove a deserved winner as well, meaning Lokeren are through to the next round of the Belgian Cup.
Daniel Wass Channels His Inner-Juninho, Leaves the Keeper Rooted to His Spot
Date: 12/3/2014
Match: Bastia v. Evian TG
Competition: Ligue 1
Ground: Stade Armand-Cesari, Bastia, France
If this feels a little like déjà vu, well, that’s because Evian TG’s Daniel Wass scored an eerily similar free kick against Guincamp last week. The movement he gets from this dead ball is absolutely filthy. It actually looks like Wass’ shot takes a deflection off the wall, but that’s just the sick movement he gets on the shot. This would bring the visitors level on the night, and help propel them to an eventual victory.
