La Liga, Week 12: Real Madrid defeat Eibar to remain in first

Lionel Messi opened the scoring in the 21st minute, firing a free kick from 20-yards out that got up and over the wall before beating Beto into the top left corner. After seemingly being stuck on 250 career league goals for weeks, Messi finally drew even with Telmo Zarra for the all-time record.

Barca respond right away, taking the lad back two minutes later. Xavi floated a lovely ball across the area finding Neymar at the far post for a fancy header past Beto to put the home side back in front 2-1.

Maybe tossing Messi into the air isn’t the best choice. He’s worth a lot of money.

Later in the game, he scored again, notching No. 252 to break the record in the same match.

As remarkable as it is that Messi has broken such a lofty record, it is even more amazing when you consider that he is just 27 years old and made his debut for Barcelona only 10 years ago. And while Messi has just hit the 252-goal mark in the league, he has over 400 professional goals in all competitions for club and country. For good measure, he added a third goal to complete a hat trick after he’d passed Zarra.

The inevitable Madrid goal game midway through the first half when Cristiano Ronaldo tried to feed Karim Benzema right in front of the net. The French striker’s poor touch popped the ball up towards the end line, but Ronaldo was able to send it right back across towards the far post where James Rodriguez had moved in. The Colombian striker was happy to head the ball into the empty net and give Madrid a 1-0 lead.

Despite an outstanding effort from Elbar in the second half, Madrid put the game away in the 69th minute when defender Eneko Boveda tried to shield Marcelo and James from the ball as it rolled towards the end line for a goal kick. The duo combined to pick the defender’s pocket and James delivered the ball to Benzema, who hammered the ball into the top corner.

Totes, bro.

Translation: “Ronaldo got me like whoa.”

I can honestly say that I have never, ever seen this before. Perhaps this is only possible at Ipurua, Eibar’s tiny 5,250 seat ground?

Distractions continue to hound Lionel Messi and there are concerns it’s affecting his game. Between chasing the all-time La Liga scoring record, dealing with the media speculating about him leaving the club and his pending tax issues with the government, Messi has clearly lost his scoring touch. He’s hit the woodwork plenty, but finding the back of the net remains an issue. Barca could really use their star player to get a goal and break the funk he’s in.

Key Matchup: Sevilla’s defense vs. Neymar, Messi and Luis Suárez

The biggest concern for Madrid ahead of the match is whether the two-week break disrupted their form. They were playing so well before players scattered to the wind for internationals that you have to wonder if things will click right away when they return. There’s a chance there could be some rust on the proverbial gears, which could give Eibar some hope.

Eibar have drawn their last three matches at home but face a massive task in trying to slow down Madrid’s attack. A win for Madrid on Saturday would be their 14th in a row this season.

After two long, horrible weeks filled with international friendlies and few Euro 2016 qualifiers, club football is back in Spain ... and not a moment too soon!

Given that Moyes had success at Everton getting the most out of his players and being competitive on a limited budget, he seems like a good hire for the club. The question that will get answered over the coming weeks and months is how a coach known for his stiff, defensive 4-4-2 formation will translate to Spain.