The midweek Champion's League fare had a record five Spanish teams in action with Sevilla, Real and Atletico Madrid all notching up victories, Barcelona leaving Rome with a point and Valencia stumbling at home to Zenit. The question was, would any of the Iberian contingency experience a kind of post Euroepan hangover. The answer was yes.

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Barcelona

Barcelona were hosting Levante at Camp Nou and with Dani Alves back from injury and team chieftain Luis Enrique choosing to play four up front, the intention was clear. Win the game early and with authority. Enrique made changes a plenty and as Levante hadn't beaten their Catalan hosts in their last 18 encounters it felt, thus, that the three points were somewhat of an inevitability. They weren't.

Barca peaked early. After five minutes it felt as if Ruben on goal and the defense in front of him would simply receive an incessant pounding but it wasn't until fifteen minutes in that Messi tested the goalkeeper for the first time. A one-two with Sandro allowed him to get a powerful shot on goal but the Levante number one did well to parry it wide. A superlative ball from Messi to Neymar in the 22nd minute should have put the Blaugrana in front but Neymar failed to comply and although, in fact, he was seeing plenty of the ball he was flagrantly guilty of being ineffectual and loose with passes as a disjointed torpor defined the Brazilian's play. Indeed, this was a symptom of the whole team's performance and the footballing transcendence that we have come to expect, dare I say demand, remained elusive. Although the home team had 75% possession in the first forty five minutes, the half time whistle and a nil all score had a beleaguered eleven head for the dressing room to a chorus of irritated and impatient groans.

Five minutes into the second half and, finally, an elixir for the anxiety and frustration. A enchanting cross from Messi found Bartra on the back post and in two movements, from chest to foot, the ball nestled in the back of the net. Six minutes after that saw Dani Alves deliver in a super cross which was almost comically flapped at by Ruben allowing Neymar, after two attempts, to scuffle home Barca's second. It was a goal that won't win any goal of the season awards, but it sufficed in summing up the home team's performance up to that point. Unkempt.

After an hour, Trujillo mugged Neymar in the box allowing Messi to blast home from the spot for number three but less than five minutes later more motley ballet between the posts, this time from Ter Stegen, allowed Casadesus to force home for Levante. The visitors then enjoyed a bit more possession but on seventy five minutes Messi was up-ended in the area but his effort this time remains in orbit and still hasn't landed as he blasted over from 12 yards.

Rakitic had a penalty appeal not three minutes later but the hosts looked content to let their guests from the east coast knock the ball around at will, with the game's fate already sealed. However, with time expiring, we were treated to the best piece of football of the evening.

Receiving a wonderful pass from Bartra, Messi decided, at last, to do what Messi was born to do. Running at a stricken defense and twisting them into a kaleidoscope of confusion, the number 10 weaved and wobbled until about 20 yards out he unleashed into the bottom left corner for number four. Magnificent goal. Retribution for the penalty miss. The price of admittance validated.

Although this was by no means champagne football it was a dogged and sloppy performance that leaves Barca on top of the table. However, we feel that their next encounter against Celta Vigo on Wednesday, will be of a different ilk and this tricky fixture away from home should reignite the puritanical side of Barcelona and translate into a quality of football that was missing on Sunday.

The Rest

As his old cronies from Manchester United were crafting themselves a win at Southampton his current outfit remain winless and David Moyes must surely, now, be one of the bookies' favorites for the early chop. Having gone on a shopping spree over the summer, the expectations for Real Sociedad have been high but a last gasp winner for Espanyol handed them a 2-3 loss at home leaving the Basque team fourth from bottom with just two points from four games.

The fairytale that has been Eibar, finally, unfortunately, inevitably perhaps, was penned into a more realistic narrative this weekend, as the tiny team from the Basque country lost 0-2 at home to Atletico Madrid. It was a tale of the substitutes as Torres and Correa, both coming off the bench, made it a two man show to steal the points against a gritty and determined Eibar side. Only minutes after coming on Torres put Correa through to open the scoring and with about 10 minutes left, the Argentinean repaid the favor by putting Torres in as Eibar's stretched defense were found missing as they pushed forward looking for an equalizer.

Sevilla must surely have welcomed in-form Celta Vigo with at least a modicum of optimism having won four of their previous five games against their guests and coming off of a 3-0 victory earlier in the week in the Champion's League. However, the Europa Champion's abysmal start to the new season continued as they were dealt a 1-2 loss in one of the more entertaining games of the weekend. Celta Vigo went 0-2 up with goals from Nolito and Wess, just desserts for their 60% possession, and took that lead into the half time break. In the second half, Llorente headed home from close range off of a magical cross from Mariano and with 30 minutes left on the clock the game opened way up. Sevilla dominated the second half proceedings hitting the cross-bar and creating palpable chances, but the home side couldn't find the equalizer and they now have the perplexing distinction of propping up La Liga with Levante. Their next game is way to Las Palmas who were on the wrong end of a 0-1 result against Rayo Vallecano who earned their own first victory of the season.

Real Madrid squirmed to a 1-0 win at home against a daring and irreverent Granada side at the Bernabeu who had reason to feel aggrieved as they had, what looked like a perfectly legitimate goal, ruled out for offside. The team from Andalusia were determined not to fall foul to the same mistakes that saw them hammered 9-1 last year and although Real were missing Bale and Ramos (who were injured midweek) Granada's deep defending and emphasis on the counter attack helped them create a heap of chances. Chances that they, in earnestness, squandered and they were inevitably punished as a cross from Isco in the 55th minutes found Benzema on the back post and his header would ultimately prove to be the difference between the two teams. The result, albeit far from convincing, leaves los Blancos with 10 points from four games and, impressively, with zero goals conceded. Ronaldo and co's next assignment will be a visit to Atletico Bilbao who are coming off of a 3-1 loss to Villarreal.

The first pugnacious signs of unrest from any supporters came in Valencia this weekend as their team only managed a dire 0-0 draw against Real Betis, who played most of the second half with only 10 men. Following their team's 2-3 loss mid week to Zenit St. Petersburg in the Champion's League, by the end of this game, the hoards on the stands were chanting for the head of Nuno Santo whose team has an unconvincing six points from four games, and face Espanyol away in their next fixture.

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