And the lack of action on mainland Europe means our coverage of live continental football takes a breather too.

We will return on the first weekend of 2015 when Atletico Madrid host Levante (15:00) on Saturday 3 January, followed by Valencia v Real Madrid (16:00) and Real Sociedad v Barcelona (20:00) on Sunday 4 January.

In the meantime, don't forget to go to our European football page for all the latest news over the festive period. Enjoy!

While England's footballers spend their Christmas Days on the training ground or travelling on the team bus ahead of their Boxing Day fixtures, their continental counterparts can sit back, relax and recharge their batteries.

Spain: 21 December - 3 January

Germany: 21 December - 30 January

Italy: 21 December - 5 January

France: 21 December - 7 January

Spanish La Liga

Atletico's Antoine Griezmann is the first French player to score a hat-trick in La Liga since Thierry Henry against Valencia in 2008.

French Ligue 1

While we were engrossed in the Spanish action, French title-chasers Lyon decided to run riot at Bordeaux.

The home side were reduced to 10-men midway through the second half, allowing Lyon to bag three more goals in the final 10 minutes.

That moves them up to second, behind leaders Marseille and ahead of defending champions Paris St-Germain, going into the winter break.

Spanish La Liga

Boy, did Atletico need that morale-boosting win before the Spanish winter break. Los Rojiblancos are hanging on to the coat-tails of leaders Real Madrid and Barcelona.

All over! What a superb, and admittedly controversial, fightback from Atletico Madrid. Their jubilant players hug on the pitch as hat-trick hero Antoine Griezmann hunts down the match-ball. Coach Diego Simeone, who masterminded the comeback, wanders off down the tunnel with a smug grin.

The Atletico fans inside San Memes, behind the goal which their side have attacked with such gusto in the second half, find their singing voices as the clock ticks down to a priceless win.

Diego Godin is made of the tough stuff. The Atletico defender has a few balls of cotton wool shoved up his left nostril, changes his blood-soaked shirt and enthusiastically runs back on. He's got four minutes of injury-time to see out...

Spanish La Liga

Someone fetch the magic sponge quick! Atletico defender Diego Godin is coshed by a flailing arm from his own team-mate Jose Maria Gimenez as they both jump for a high ball.

Godin's nose splatters quicker than a heavyweight boxer's and blood streams all over his silver shirt.

Little less than five minutes to go. The Bilbao fans are furious and they aren't shy in letting the match officials know. Referee Alejandro Hernandez and his linesmen won't be going out for a Chritmas tipple and bit of Basque-flavoured tapas in the city centre tonight.

Spanish La Liga

However, replays suggest that Antoine Griezmann was a couple of yards offside as he tucked in the fourth. Athletic, who rightly felt Atletico's second goal should never have been a penalty, are aggrieved again. Griezmann doesn't care. His only worry is clearing the Christmas cards from his mantelpiece to make room for a signed matchball.

Italian Serie A

Image source, Reuters

It's all over at the San Siro. Lazio had eased into a 2-0 lead but were hanging on in the end as Inter staged a stirring comeback to earn a point. Lazio move third in Serie A on goal difference, while Inter stay 11th.

Image source, Getty Images

Clinical stuff from Atletico Madrid. A swift counter ends in Antoine Griezmann unselfishly rolling the ball to Raul Garcia about six yards out. The goal gapes, the Spain midfielder can't convert, but it drops to Griezmann who gleefully smashes in his third of a productive night.

Spanish La Liga

The home side aren't throwing in the towel yet. Right-sided attacker Markel Susaeta, not for the first time tonight, swings in a dangerous cross which is met by the creased forehead of Aritz Aduriz. But he is under pressure at the near post from Atletico defender Diego Godin and heads wide.

Italian Serie A

It's all Inter now and Mateo Kovacic is denied his second and the home side's third when Lazio keeper Federico Marchetti tips his top-corner bound header over the crossbar. Talk about a turnaround.

Spanish La Liga

The Atletico penalty area is more akin to a WWE ring as the two sets of players grapple while they wait for a Bilbao corner. Referee Alejandro Hernandez blows his whistle as the Atletico defence tap out.

Image source, AP

Turnaround complete. Antoine Griezmann keeps his cool to collect Gabi's throughball before expertly firing in Atletico's third from a central position just inside the home area. The France attacker also did well to keep his footing - unlike a Bilbao defender who slipped as he tried to intercept Gabi's pass.

Italian Serie A

Image source, Reuters

Inter have been piling on the pressure and Lazio have buckled again. A free-kick is nodded across goal by Danilo D'Ambrosio and, whether it was intentional or not, it allows Rodrigo Palacio the chance to sweep in a leveller.

Akshay Polji, external: No Koke, no Mandzukic, no Problem. 1-2 & back in business. Let's face it, title-winning sides should know how to win ugly.

Plenty of jostling and, shall we say, differing of opinions as Atletico defender Gimenez and his Athletic opponent Iker Muniain clash. Again.

The pair who scuffled in the first half, both fly in for a loose ball on the touchline, with Muniain adjudged to be the player who has broken the rules. That's despite Gimenez flying through the air like the Karate Kid.