Not content with the landmarks and trophies already scooped up in a 10-year Barcelona career, Lionel Messi this week reached two milestones, breaking the records for the most number of goals in the UEFA Champions League and La Liga.

The Argentina captain shows no sign of letting up just yet.

Eulogies for Messi’s career were written almost in parallel with Cristiano Ronaldo’s charge to supremacy in 2013 and 2014. The Real Madrid forward may well claim a second straight Ballon d’Or but anyone who saw Messi’s hat-trick against Sevilla this weekend can be in no doubt – Messi is far from finished.

A stunning free-kick delivered Messi’s first goal of the game and his 251st in Spain’s top flight, taking him level with Telmo Zarra, a legendary striker of the 1950s. His second, a sliding tap-in from Neymar’s return pass set the new record and a powerful third set about building on it. The hat-trick made Messi the highest-scoring player of the weekend in EuroFantasyLeague.

They were also the first La Liga goals Messi had scored in a month, a dry spell of Sahara-like proportions for the 27-year-old. Messi’s goalless run came at a time when Barca were trying to fit in Luis Suarez to the side, and doing so with little success. It appeared to click for the Uruguayan before the international break, when he inspired a come-from-behind win over Almeria after entering the match as a half-time substitute, but it was Messi who took centre stage this time.

He did so as Barca returned to something approaching the style that has brought success for years on end. It wasn’t the Barca of Pep Guardiola and under Luis Enrique, it’s not going to be, but the tempo was far greater. Sevilla were closed down quicker and the ball was cycled faster. Perhaps most importantly, Messi had runners in attack to help him, Neymar and Suarez working off-the-ball in a manner best seen in Messi’s second, record-breaking goal.

As Messi burst through the middle of the pitch he was flanked by Neymar and Suarez. In previous games there had been too much standing around, with the intention of making themselves available for the pass, and Messi was as guilty as anyone. But here, Suarez went one way and Neymar went the other. The pass found the Brazilian and Messi and Suarez kept running for the return. It was Messi who put the ball in the net but Suarez was there too, waiting for his first Barca goal.

That Messi flung himself at the pass to ensure he got the decisive touch and not Suarez points to his single-mindedness. That’s not a bad thing when it helps produce a hat-trick. You don’t set a La Liga goals record without your desire to score burning brighter than anyone else’s. Perhaps now the question of when he will surpass Zarra has been answered the freedom with which Messi is so closely associated can return.

Messi’s place in the history books was assured before Saturday but there is another legacy waiting, one entirely different from individual goal tallies. If Messi is the catalyst that brings together the Barca frontline of himself, Neymar and Suarez, it may be an achievement worth its weight in goals.

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Diego Simeone predicted this season that rather than retain the title, Atletico Madrid would spend the year competing with Valencia and Sevilla for a UEFA Champions League place. And after the champions lost to then managerless Real Sociedad, it seems Cholo’s forecast is coming true.

Atletico are fourth in La Liga, four points adrift of Real Madrid and two behind Barcelona – not a chasm by any means. But Spanish publication AS this week revealed Atletico are seven points down on this time last season, with 23 points compared to 2013-14’s 30. That’s seven points they have to make up between now and May while hoping Madrid and Barca implode.

Simeone has proven to be a master-motivator in his time at Vicente Calderon but even the best psychologists need the right tools with which to work. Los Rojiblancos were gutted over the summer in two key positions – goalkeeper and centre-forward – and while they found decent replacements, the departing players were among the best in the world in their positions. Indeed, Diego Costa has twice as many goals and more than double the EuroFantasyLeague points of Mario Mandzukic.

A Champions League place is without doubt possible for Atletico. They’re fourth in the table, level on points with fifth-place Sevilla, and come the end of the season it would be a major surprise to see Unai Emery’s side pip the capital team to a top four place. But considering how Atletico stormed to the title last year, targeting merely the top four feels like Simeone selling his men short.

It’s entirely possible that by predicting Atletico wouldn’t be a factor in the title race, the Argentine was trying to ease the expectation on the defending champions. Atletico were the underdogs last year and their triumph was a Cinderella story. The reality is different now and rather than quietly willing Atletico on, questions are being asked about their capacity to make it two in a row.

By dismissing the chances of retaining the title early in the campaign, Simeone answered the inquisition before it really started. But his stance also runs the risk of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. Atletico are told by their leader that they can’t win the league again and come to believe it, their performances dropping from those of title-winners. Rather than building the team up, Simeone did them down.

His reaction to the defeat at Real Sociedad – saying ‘it’s a good time to lose as Valencia and Sevilla drew’ – was another example. Maybe he doesn’t really believe it, and is giving his new players time to settle in ahead of a New Year charge. By then it could be too late. Real Madrid are threatening to run away with the league and Atletico are barely in touch.

It is only a second league defeat of the season so there’s no need to sound the alarm yet but if Atletico’s year peters out into a top four spot after last term’s thrills, it may be that the seeds were sown way back in August.

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Manchester United truly boast a roster of attacking players the likes of which has rarely been seen before. Between them, Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Radamel Falcao have scored almost 650 goals in their club careers and many more when internationals are considered. But Louis van Gaal is only a few injuries away from having to play one of them in defence.

An exaggeration, perhaps, but only just – after ending the Manchester derby with two midfielders in the back four, van Gaal is getting desperate. Injuries have of course played a major part and losing Marcos Rojo to a dislocated shoulder or Chris Smalling to an idiotic red card is out of van Gaal’s control, but the failure to sign a reliable centre-back with experience at the highest level is most definitely something that can be laid in part at the Dutchman’s feet.

Rojo came to Old Trafford on the back of the World Cup, where he was part of the Argentina squad that finished the tournament as runners-up. While he may not be completely alien to playing at centre-back he was often used as a wing-back by his country and reports suggested he was signed by United with that position in mind. Meanwhile, Toby Alderweireld, a title winner in Spain and one of the highest-scoring players of the week in EuroFantasyLeague, signed for Southampton with little fanfare or, it seems, interest from elsewhere.

Alderweireld was largely on the fringes at Atletico Madrid, unable to dislodge Diego Godin or Miranda at the heart of the defence. When he did play, he was often dragooned into covering at full-back, out of position, which was most definitely not on his agenda when leaving Ajax in the summer of 2013. With Godin and Miranda remaining at Vicente Calderon, Belgium international Alderweireld had to move on and Southampton, looking for someone to replace Dejan Lovren, welcomed him with open arms.

It’s easy to see why Ronald Koeman was so happy to see Alderweireld sign in. Alderweireld has played in six of Southampton’s 10 games and only let in three goals – Southampton have conceded twice in the four games Alderweireld has missed. He also showed in his brief time with Atletico that he has a goal in him, netting a crucial equalizer against Malaga in the penultimate game of the season. It was a point that kept Atletico’s fate in their own hands and set up a famous title win.

Alderweireld is only on loan with the Saints and time will tell if he makes a permanent move to the south coast next summer. More performances the calibre of his display at Hull and Alderweireld – still only 25 and with a future even brighter than his present – will be in huge demand, but a season that ends in European qualification could convince him to make the switch full-time. If not, United should be among his suitors as van Gaal looks to build a defence to match his attack.

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After eight games, the leading scorers in La Liga are the usual suspects – Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Lionel Messi. However, Carlos Bacca is on the coattails of the Real Madrid star and the Barcelona pair, with the Colombia international maintaining the prolific form he has shown throughout his career and his goals taking Sevilla into second place early in La Liga season.

He may not have taken the World Cup by storm in the manner of James Rodriguez, or have had Europe’s richest clubs chasing his signature over the summer as Radamel Falcao did, but make no mistake: Bacca is the real deal. The 28-year-old would be ranked alongside the game’s most wanted strikers if he played for a more glamorous club than Unai Emery’s Rojiblancos.

Bacca perfectly illustrates Sevilla’s successful transfer policy. Exploiting the historic links between Spain and South America, and under the guidance of transfer guru Monchi, Sevilla routinely turn up gems that have gone undiscovered or under-appreciated by others. While it was once Dani Alves, Julio Baptista and Luis Fabiano, it is now Bacca catching the eye.

Arriving at Sevilla after a year-and-a-half with Club Brugge, Bacca has hit the ground running in the Primera, following 31 goals in 54 games for the Belgians with 27 in 63 for Los Nervionenses. This season he has six in eight league appearances and only a handful of La Liga strikers are performing better than Bacca in EuroFantasyLeague. The fact that only Ronaldo, Neymar and Messi have scored more goals confirms the No.9’s quality.

Bacca recently signed a new contract with Sevilla but their business model is based on buying low and selling high – having paid €7m for him in summer 2012, they could soon cash in for at least three times that amount. He has the size to handle the more rugged Premier League defenders and with a career record of 168 goals in 322 games, there is little reason to believe he could not plunder plenty more in English football.

Falcao dominates the attention where Colombia strikers are concerned and El Tigre, when fully fit, may be one of the greatest exponents of the art around. Bacca deserves to be ranked up there as well. He has been linked with moves to the Premier League – Everton and Arsenal said to have been suitors in the past – and Zenit St. Petersburg are reportedly another interested party. It is inevitable he will leave Sevilla and one club will end up with a lethal finisher.

It took Bacca five games to get off the mark for Sevilla following his move from Brugge. Since he started scoring, he has made a habit of finding the back of the net. He lacks the appeal and wow factor of Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar – or Falcao, for that matter – but not the goals.

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It’s inevitable at a club that has Cristiano Ronaldo, James Rodriguez and Karim Benzema, among others, that some players fall by the wayside and don’t get the credit they deserve. That was the case in Real Madrid’s win over Barcelona, when excellent performances from Dani Carvajal and Isco went largely unrecognized.

Carvajal’s game didn’t start that well in fairness, when the right-back allowed Neymar to cut inside and get a shot on goal as Barca opened the scoring. But the Spain international isn’t the first defender to be shown up by the Brazil captain and he won’t be the last. It was the one mistake Carvajal made in the entire game and he responded with a performance of genuine class and maturity and confirmed why he is one of the highest-rated La Liga defenders in EuroFantasyLeague.

Neymar came close to doubling Barca’s lead midway through the first half. The ball fell kindly for the forward, in the Madrid six-yard box, and it took a last-gasp challenge to prevent Iker Casillas being beaten again. And it wasn’t one of the experienced trio of Pepe, Sergio Ramos or Marcelo who made it – it was Carvajal. Throw in some fierce tackling and useful attacking and Carvajal illustrated perfectly why he is seen as La Roja’s long-term right-back.

Carvajal is in something of a job-share with Alvaro Arbeloa but Isco doesn’t even hold that status in the Madrid squad. The former Malaga playmaker is often said to be a favourite of Carlo Ancelotti but that guarantees nothing at the Santiago Bernabeu. The favourites of President Florentino Perez – the players who sell the most shirts – tend to take precedence. But more performances such as against Barca, when Isco filled in for Gareth Bale, will push the youngster to prominence.

Bale’s injury has meant a change in Madrid’s shape. Gone is the 4-3-3 formation and in its place is an unorthodox 4-4-2, with Isco and James on the wings. Neither are out-and-out wide men and wouldn’t ordinarily track an opposition full-back down the line, but Isco has battled away to great effect. James has done his fair share too but Isco has been an industrious revelation.

It was perhaps best seen when, against Barca, he was robbed by Dani Alves as he pushed down the flank. Rather than sulk or wait for one of his teammates to step in, Isco sprinted back and nicked the ball from Alves. Compared to Isco, Alves is a heavyweight, but tenacity won out and the sprightly Isco was away. In most other teams Isco would be a regular starter, probably the heartbeat of the side. It’s a sign of Madrid’s strength that he isn’t, but that may change in time as the ever-reliable Isco shows his worth.

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