Neymar may have moved on, but Barça still have Messi and Luis Suárez, and between them they put paid to city neighbours Espanyol on Saturday evening. Messi in particular is in as good a form as ever, and he completed his who-knows-how-many-th hat-trick before Piqué and Suárez made it 5-0 in the end! After all the summer trials and tribulations, Barça currently top the league, whereas double-supercup champions Real Madrid, missing the suspended Ronaldo, and with Benzema picking up an injury, were surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw by Levante, Ivi giving the visitors the lead before Lucas Vázquez saved a point for his team. How things can change in a few days in football!

Real Sociedad are level with Barça on nine points though after they beat Deportivo 2-4, Juanmi shrugging off an injury to open the scoring, and Illarramendi helping himself to a brace. Sevilla are currently third after a 3-0 win against Eibar, Ganso and Ben Yedder amongst the scorers there, and Athletic are fourth after a 2-0 victory over Girona, Aduríz also passing a late fitness test to net his fifth of the season in all competitions, and Muniain getting the opener. Second top scorer in the league however is Maxi Gómez after he got the winner for Celta against Alavés, and elsewhere Sergio León and Calleri were on target in the return from the international break. All teams have their full squads now though, and with the European leagues starting again this week, busy times are ahead! (12.09.17)

Pichichi League Cup ** Europe * Total (Penalties)
Messi (Barcelona) 5 1 0 6 (1)
Aduríz (Athletic) 2 0 3 5 (1)
Maxi Gómez (Celta) 4 0 0 4 (0)
Asensio (Real Madrid) 2 2 0 4 (0)
Juanmi (Real Sociedad) 3 0 0 3 (0)
Ben Yedder (Sevilla) 1 0 2 3 (0)
Correa (Atlético) 2 0 0 2 (0)
Koke (Atlético) 2 0 0 2 (0)
Sergio León (Betis) 2 0 0 2 (0)
Stuani (Girona) 2 0 0 2 (0)
Calleri (Las Palmas) 2 0 0 2 (0)
Ivi (Levante) 2 0 0 2 (1)
Illarramendi (Real Soc) 2 0 0 2 (0)
Willian José (Real Soc) 2 0 0 2 (0)
Ganso (Sevilla) 2 0 0 2 (0)
Muniain (Athletic) 1 0 1 2 (0)
Casemiro (Real Madrid) 1 0 1 2 (0)
Raúl García (Athletic) 0 0 2 2 (0)
Escudero (Sevilla) 0 0 2 2 (0)

* Includes European Super Cup
** Includes Spanish Super Cup