Pacesetters earn both points and plaudits

The most significant statements made over the weekend came from teams at the head of their respective classes, with Cristiano Ronaldo hitting four goals for Liga leaders Real Madrid CF, S.S. Lazio setting a club record in Serie A and PSV Eindhoven racking up double figures in the Netherlands. UEFA.com casts a look back at the best of the action.

Spain
Real Madrid continue to go from strength to strength in the Liga after recording a 6-1 win against Real Racing Club to extend their unbeaten run under José Mourinho to 11 games. Cristiano Ronaldo scored four against Racing to help ensure Madrid retained their one-point cushion at the summit. Immediately behind them are Villarreal CF – 2-0 winners against Club Atlético de Madrid – and titleholders FC Barcelona, who prevailed 2-0 at bottom-placed Real Zaragoza. Valencia CF, in fourth, dropped three points off the chasing pack after losing 2-1 at home to RCD Mallorca.

England
The Premier League table is starting to take shape after a weekend of potentially decisive victories. Leaders Chelsea FC got the ball rolling on Saturday afternoon with a 2-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, and that result gave them a five-point lead which remains intact after Manchester City FC lost 3-0 to Arsenal FC and Manchester United FC won 2-1 at Stoke City FC thanks to two Javier Hernández goals. United, City and Arsenal are now all on 17 points, two ahead of Tottenham Hotspur FC – who drew 1-1 with Everton FC – and promoted West Bromwich Albion FC, 2-1 victors against Fulham FC.

Italy
Lazio moved a little clearer at the Serie A summit after a 2-1 victory against Cagliari Calcio gave them a club record 19 points after eight games. That is four more than closest pursuers FC Internazionale Milano, who could only draw 1-1 at home with UC Sampdoria. "Italian sides are tactically very strong indeed, so it's tougher to score against them," said Inter coach Rafael Benítez. Fifth-placed Juventus were also held in check, 0-0 at Bologna FC, and that scoreline was repeated when AS Roma travelled to bottom club Parma FC. ACF Fiorentina moved off the foot of the table by defeating AS Bari 2-1.

Germany
1. FSV Mainz 05 continue to turn heads in the Bundesliga after beating Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1-0 to go two points clear at the summit. Their nearest rivals, Borussia Dortmund, dropped off the pace after only being able to muster a 1-1 draw against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, who lie fourth. In third spot – and already eight points adrift of Mainz – are Hannover 96 following their 2-1 triumph over bottom-placed 1. FC Köln. Perhaps the weekend's most eye-catching contest, between Hamburger SV and titleholders FC Bayern München, finished goalless on Friday night.

France
Stade Rennais FC surrendered the last remaining unbeaten record in Ligue 1 when they suffered a 1-0 loss at home against Montpellier Hérault SC. "It's all part of the learning process when you're top of the table," said Rennes coach Frédéric Antonetti, whose troops held on to pole position as AS Saint-Etienne could only draw 1-1 with SM Caen. Les Verts were joined on 18 points by Stade Brestois 29 after the promoted club posted a 2-0 success at FC Girondins de Bordeaux and also by champions Olympique de Marseille, who continued their march up the standings by winning 3-1 at LOSC Lille Métropole.

Elsewhere
The result of the weekend undoubtedly came in the Netherlands, where leaders PSV posted an incredible 10-0 triumph against ten-man Feyenoord in which Jonathan Reis claimed a hat-trick. The loss was the heaviest in Feyenoord's history as well as equalling PSV's previous benchmark for a winning margin. In Scotland, Rangers FC achieved a notable success of their own by prevailing 3-1 at eternal rivals Celtic FC, both the Glasgow giants having hitherto won all their fixtures this term. There was no victor in the Istanbul derby, on the other hand, as Fenerbahçe SK and Galatasaray AŞ drew 0-0, while HB Tórshavn retained their crown in the Faroe Islands and Rosenborg BK celebrated a 22nd Norwegian title.