After another exciting day of action in European football, let's see what we can learn from last night.
Barcelona 4-1 Celta: Messi leading the way again
If you just looked at the result, then the result wouldn’t come as a surprise to you. Barcelona beat Celta 4-1? Yeah, checks out.
Of course if you watched the game then the comfort of both the scoreline and second half performance would come as a surprise given the way the night began with Celta playing supremely on the front foot.
Barcelona took the lead via a penalty and got a bit more confidence, but Celta still looked easily their equal until two Leo Messi free-kicks put the game to bed by the 48 minute mark.
It was such a familiar song for Ernesto Valverde’s Barcelona; a stodgy performance given life by goals from Leo Messi.
Messi’s consistency is baffling. How can a player be this good for this long? The reason why Barcelona keep on winning La Liga (they’ve won 7 of the last 10 titles) is mostly because of the consistent genius of Leo Messi. Whether scoring like his free-kicks, or skipping by opponents with the ball at his feet or even creating gilt-edged chances (he put it on a plate for Antoine Griezmann tonight) for team-mates… there’s seemingly nothing he can’t do.
Eibar 0-4 Real Madrid: Zidane is finding his groove
For the first couple months of the season, Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid didn’t look particularly good. They were disjointed, Eden Hazard was unfit, the midfield was a joke. They didn’t lose too much (PSG took them to the woodshed, however), but it looked as though things were not going to go well for Los Blancos this season.
Then they caught a break. Or rather they caught several in a short space of time. Firstly the international break allowed star signing Eden Hazard to find his fitness, secondly El Clásico was postponed for the most ridiculous of political decisions.
But without the Clásico, Madrid got a week’s rest after their away win against Galatasaray in Europe and they built on that most sensibly. The result was a 5-0 home win over Leganés and a 6-0 against Galatasaray.
So we finally come to Ipurua, where Madrid won comfortably. It was a truly routine win, with Karim Benzema scoring twice to go top of the Pichichi standings and producing a wonderful performance as well; but most positively for Los Blancos was that it was a crystallisation of everything that has been building over the last few weeks.
Leicester 2-0 Arsenal: Emery out, again?
Jamie Vardy’s decision to turn down a move to Arsenal in the summer of 2016 – just after Leicester won the League title – was a major blow to the Gunners’ plans at the time and he continues to haunt them now.
The 32-year-old finished a wonderful team move on 68 minutes to score his ninth goal in nine League starts against Arsenal – a record which hurt Arsene Wenger and now heaps further scrutiny on his successor.
This game made a half century in the Premier League for boss Unai Emery who had a record of W25, D12, L12 previously.
And he won't want to remember it as Leicester beat Arsenal for a third consecutive top-flight home match for the first time.
The odds must now be stacked against the Spanish coach lasting in charge until his ton on this evidence.
Chelsea 2-0 Crystal Palace: Lampard the 'Right One'
Chelsea continued their excellent recent Premier League form in a London derby against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge. Tammy Abraham and Christian Pulisic struck in a 2-0 victory for Frank Lampard's side - their sixth in a row in the top-flight.
Tammy Abraham has been in brilliant form all season and he continued that on Saturday with his 10th Premier League goal of the campaign.
He may only be 22 years old, but Abraham has shown already he can cut it at the highest level and how being Chelsea’s No. 9 doesn’t faze him.
It looks like that transfer ban in the summer may well have been a blessing in disguise for the Blues.
Frank Lampard also has a big decision to make with 19-year-old Reece James.
Palace’s best player, Wilfried Zaha, was left firmly in the teenager’s pocket and Lampard must now decide whether to slot the more experienced Cesar Azpilicueta back into this team or allow James the first-team action that will turn his towering potential into lasting quality. He should go for the latter.
Bayern 4-0 Dortmund: Can't Stop, Won't Stop
Bayern Munich returned to winning ways in the Bundesliga by inflicting a crushing 4-0 defeat on title rivals Borussia Dortmund.
The 101st league meeting between German giants was naturally decided by a man who has impacted on both clubs. Robert Lewandowski, who has been in devastating form of late, would register a brace and subsequently enter the history books.
Lewandowski is unquestionably the world’s current best number nine. The numbers don’t lie and it spells trouble for whomever he’s facing.
He has now scored in each of the league’s opening 11 matchdays this season. A feat that was beyond some of the greatest strikers in history. By registering a 16th goal across these outings, he broke legendary German centre-forward Gerd Muller’s tally of 15 in opening 11 games from 51 years ago, to put his incredible goalscoring prowess of late into context.
Lewandowski has so far outscored 53 clubs across Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues which includes such names as Man Utd, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan, Marseille.