LATEST TRENDS

Breaking records is nothing new for Lionel Messi, yet the Argentinian forward simply continues to outdo himself and has now broken his own run of goals in the opening five LaLiga matches. The start of the 2017/18 season has seen 30-year-old lead the Blaugrana's charge to the top of the Spanish top flight.His nine goals in the first five matches have been nothing short of sensational. Messi's previous best scoring record in the same number of opening games was eight, he achieved this feat back in the 2011/12 campaign. Deportivo Alaves, Espanyol and Eibar have all suffered at the hands of the iconic forward and it doesn't look as if the La Masia graduate has any intention of slowing down.

Real Madrid have equaled the record of scoring in 73 consecutive matches set by Santos in 1963, after Borja Mayoral put them ahead against Real Sociedad. The run began on April 30th, 2016, coincidentally also at Anoeta with Gareth Bale giving Los Blancos a 1-0 victory and since then no defence has been able to hold them at bay. First they bettered the Spanish record that Barcelona had of scoring in 44 straight games and after that they overcame the European best of 61 by Bayern Munich before now equaling the all-time best set by Pele's Santos.

Ousmane Demeble has been ruled out for up to four months in an injury blow that has rocked Barcelona. Barca have confirmed that the 20-year-old did, as feared by head coach Ernesto Valverde, suffered a torn hamstring in Saturday's 2-1 victory away against Getafe, which was his full La Liga debut. Dembele had to be withdrawn in the first half of his side's dramatic win, leaving the field after sustaining the problem while attempting a back-heel near the corner flag when the match was still goalless. After conducting tests on Sunday, Barca released a statement which read: "The tests have come back following first team player Ousmane Dembele has ruptured the tendon in his femoral bicep in his left thigh. "The player will be operated on by Dr. Sakari Orava in Finland this week. He is expected to be out for between three and a half months and four months." The problem, which is in Dembele's left leg, will see him miss the first half of the season in a huge b...