The "clasico" games between Barcelona and Real Madrid are always the highlights of the season in La Liga, but next Monday's first meeting in the Nou Camp is going to be something special even in those terms. Although it is normal in recent years that both sides are heading the table in a league of their own, this year they are smashing even their own records. On Saturday Barcelona racked up eight goals against a poor Almería, with Messi scoring a hat-trick, Bojan two and Pedro and Iniesta on the scoresheet, their best away win in 70 years. And later in the evening Real Madrid came back with a crushing 5-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao to stay a point ahead of their arch-rivals, Cristiano Ronaldo responding to Messi's feat with a hat-trick of his own, Higuaín and Sergio Ramos getting the other two for the locals and Llorente netting again for the visitors. After only 12 league games Messi has 13 goals and Ronaldo has 14, (or 15 according to the Madrid based sports paper Marca, who give the Pichichi award, as they went against the referee's decision in match day 3 when his shot went in off the back of Pepe). Whatever you do on Monday, don't miss it!

Although Barça and Madrid captured the headlines, there were many more goals this weekend, the 36 in all the best tally of the season so far. Atlético Madrid scored four at Real Sociedad, Agüero (2), Forlán and a Simao penalty the boys on target, and Rossi and Aduríz added to their tallies as third and fourth placed Villarreal and Valencia drew 1-1. .On Sunday three teams scored three as well, Espanyol, Deportivo and Levante, with Caicedo getting two and Stuani the third for the Valencia based side in a 3-1 win over Racing Santander. Elsewhere Luis Fabiano netted for Sevilla, but his strike was not enough to even save a point after Webó headed the winner for Mallorca in the last minute. Quite a weekend, although that looks like being just the appetizer for what is coming up next. (23.11.10)