Ronaldo is back as Real Madrid pace La Liga, Bayern Munich are running away with the Bundesliga, Higuain scores against his former club.
La Liga
Cristiano Ronaldo was a hat-trick hero on Saturday, quelling rumblings about his dip in form after returning from injury in the early stages of the La Liga season. Real Madrid thrashed home side Alaves 4-1.
He could have had four, but had a penalty saved (he scored on one earlier). The win keeps Real firmly in first place even though Barcelona (second) and Atletico Madrid (third) both came away with wins on the weekend.
In roster news, Real Madrid have signed Gareth Bale through 2022 (good) while Pepe will be out for about a month with a hamstring injury (bad).
Atleti matched Real’s output, beating Malaga 4-1 with Yannick Carrasco scoring a brace. The 23-year-old Belgian continues to impress for Atletico Madrid: he has scored give goals and added two assists in his 10 La Liga appearances this season. Atleti sit one point behind Barcelona in third place.
Barca have ripped off three league wins in a row (they trail Real Madrid by two points), but were unimpressive in their 1-0 home win over bottom dwellers Granada. Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez were both frustrated in front of goal, something that may be a cause for concern as they prepare for their Champions League clash away to Manchester City on Tuesday.
Bundesliga
Bayern Munich, unsurprisingly, continue to be the pace setters in Germany, winning away at FC Augsburg 3-1. Arjen Robben was on target while Robert Lewandowski added two goals of his own. Here’s his first:
RB Leipzig continue to be the surprise of the 2016-17 Bundesliga season, winning their third league match in a row on Saturday. The most hated club in German soccer currently sit in second place, only two points off the leaders. Hoffenheim have put together their own surprising run, picking up their fifth league win on the bounce after defeating Hertha Berlin 1-0 on Sunday. They are undefeated in the Bundesliga this season and trail Leipzig by two points.
In USMNT-related news, Christian Pulisic went the full 90 minutes for Dortmund in their 0-0 draw with Schalke. BVB, winless in their last four, continue to struggle after a good start to the Bundesliga season. They are currently in sixth place.
Fabian Johnson also participated in a scoreless draw, starting at left wing for Monchengladbach before being subbed off in the 86th minute. John Brooks played the full 90 in Hertha’s aforementioned loss to Hoffenhiem.