La Liga Weekly Review: Lionel Messi, Real Madrid & 10 Highlights from Week 1

A new goal-scoring record, Lionel Messi in top form, the governing bodies interfering, a handful of concussions—as this is just the first week!

After three long months, La Liga has finally returned, and fans have already been treated to a few surprises.

We've seen a historic shootout, Iker Muniain's record has fallen and we've gotten our first glimpse of La Liga's three new arrivals.

To continue the weekly coverage that Bleacher Report started in the second half of last season, I am now back to give fans weekly coverage on the highlights and best moments in La Liga.

I hope that reading this weekly column will encourage fans to watch Spain's Primera Division beyond just Real Madrid and Barcelona.

As this first week has already shown, there is far too much great football in Spain to only watch the Big Two.

With all that said, please read on to see 10 highlights and lessons learned in La Liga's opening weekend.

Malaga Need New Players

As of the first week of play, Malaga has only 19 players on the squad—and that includes the injured Julio Baptista.

In addition to the league and Copa del Rey matches, this is the same team that is trying to qualify for the Champions League.

Speaking of that tournament, the squad is so light right now that they are contemplating using their new teenage hero Fabrice Olinga in Europe, despite the fact that he is just 16 years old.

Javier Saviola is rumored to be nearing a move to La Rosaleda, but much more is needed.

Midfield depth and another center back are necessary right now with just three options for Manuel Pellegrini to choose from.

The club has already had to sell three of its stars in order to make payments, so asking for transfers in is a big notion, but Malaga is currently in serious need of depth.

Lionel Messi Is Back

My, what a few extra weeks of rest can do.

While Messi's teammates—and even his rival Ronaldo—were off targeting European glory, the Argentinian was taking a much-needed rest after carrying Barcelona's offense through three competitions last season.

This is the first time in years that Messi has been able to participate in all of preseason, and it already looks like he will benefit from not having major international duty this summer.

Against Real Sociedad, Messi was almost unstoppable. He scored two goals in the first half but could have had a couple more with a bit more luck.

He was also setting up his teammates for goals and worked hard for a full 90 minutes.

It was great to see both Pedro and David Villa score goals because that could mean a lot of the pressure coming off of Messi is going forward.

Cristian Tello also put in a class performance, even if Messi was the one who scored the most important goals.

While it is unknown how well his teammates will do this season, it certainly looks as though Lionel Messi will hit the ground running.

Bilbao Are in Trouble

Oh boy. Fernando Llorente and Javi Martinez are in serious trouble.

After word broke out that both stars are probably on their way out of Bilbao, fans reacted by making threats and even defacing club property.

Letting Real Betis score five goals at San Mames was shameful and only added fuel to the fire in Basque Country.

Against the Andalusians, the defense was a mess, the midfield inconsistent, and it looks like getting goals from the forwards will be difficult.

If Athletic Club does get rid of its two superstars, they had better reinvest wisely and with the goal of getting immediate results from any signings.

If not, the anger from fans could reach a dangerous tipping point.

Keep an Eye on the New Kids

Welcome back, gentlemen. Not a bad way to start your new season in the first division.

It was just one match, but it looks like all three newly promoted clubs have a strong chance of staying in the first division this year.

Each club got solid results from their first match.

Deportivo beat Osasuna and their young starlet—Nelson Oliveira—scored the clinching extra time goal.

Valladolid managed to hold on to a one-goal lead to take three points from Zaragoza. They also missed a penalty that would have ended the game sooner.

Only Celta Vigo failed to get any points, but they still played a tough match against Malaga. If not for an outstanding performance from Willy Caballero and a historic extra time goal, Celta could have won their match as well.

At the very least, all three newly promoted clubs look like they'll be fun to watch this season.

Sevilla Already Looks More Dangerous

The summer transfer window was eventful for Sevilla, full of transfers and a full transition to the 4-3-3.

In the opening match, we already saw a glimpse of how this team can become.

The Sevillistas looked more balanced, the play from the wings looked even better than last year, and they finally look to have found a competent attacking fullback—something they have lacked since losing Dani Alves to Barcelona.

The team was mobile when creating space and kept opening passing lanes while the attack remained fluid.

Passing from midfield was still a bit errant at times and possession was not even in their favor, but that should come with time.

It may take not happen this season, but Sevilla can become one of the most enjoyable sides in the league if they can continue to tweak their gameplay.

Keep an eye on Los Nervionenses, folks.

The 'Real' Madrid?

On paper, the reigning champions seemed to do everything right.

They tested the keeper, taking 24 shots on goal, they scored early against a weakened opponent, over 70 percent of their attacks came from the wings, and they controlled possession.

So what happened? Well, they simply weren't good enough.

Of those 24 shots, only eight were on target. Ronaldo went missing for much of the match. They took 38 crosses, but few amounted to anything.

The midfield—which should have dominated Valencia's—was out of sorts with Mesut Ozil failing to greatly impact the outcome or finding himself out of position.

Ronaldo said his team was not fit, which hurt them in the end.

That's understandable but is certainly no excuse for the draw or the poor performances. After all, Valencia was just as tired and even further from full strength.

Los Che were without their best defender, preferred midfield set, first-choice league keeper and a fully fit Roberto Soldado.

If not for Soldado's goal being incorrectly called offside, Valencia could have left Madrid with all three points.

Nonetheless, Ronaldo did make a fine point that his team already looks tired. With two Supercopa matches coming up in the next couple of weeks, this will be a big factor for the club.

And the reason for this? Well, let's just say players are justified in complaining about fitness concerns.

Read on to see what I mean.

All stats courtesy of Who Scored.

Football Bureaucracy Already Causing Problems

Couldn't we have at least gotten through one week of football without the governing bodies playing a major role?

Fans were generally pleased with the excitement, surprises and play from Week 1 in La Liga. There were plenty of upsets, great goals and beautiful football.

However, our enjoyment was lessened a bit due to some foolish decisions from football's upper management.

First of all, there was the highly questionable timing of international matches which took place just days before the season kicked off. This caused many players to miss the opening match.

Secondly, the late start times that were so contentious going into the weekend clearly affected some players and teams.

Most notably in the Levante-Atletico match, playing so close to midnight was a factor for almost every player.

And this is expected. These guys were halfway through their first match at a time when many of them are usually asleep.

Whether it was Falcao looking a bit slower or Apoño making too many lazy passes, it was clear that the kickoff times had an effect on the game.

Any time play is affected by unnecessary factors, it takes away from the game itself, and that's a shame.

Match of the Week: Bilbao vs. Betis

Sometimes having two poor defenses playing each other can make for a highly exciting match, even if it isn't the best quality football.

That was precisely the case when Athletic Bilbao welcomed Real Betis to San Mames.

After just 30 minutes, the match already looked to be over and the home side embarrassed.

It took just seven minutes for Ruben Castro to give his team the lead. Jorge Molina and Beñat added two more near the half hour mark to make it 3-0.

The second half gave us a historic finale. The ebb and flow of the last 45 minutes were an emotional roller coaster for fans.

Just two minutes after the break, Oscar de Marcos pulled one back, but it still looked over.

Then after the one-hour mark, Mikel San Jose scored a brace and drew level in the 76th minute. San Mames went wild, and momentum had clearly shifted to the hosts.

Hope faded quickly, though, as Pozuelo put Betis back out in front just four minutes later.

Any hopes of a comeback were then laid to rest just minutes before time as Molina scored his second, clinching goal to give the visitors a 5-3 lead.

It was the first time in 49 years that eight goals were scored on La Liga's opening week of fixtures.

Best Goal: Fabrice Olinga's Record-Breaking Winner

Welcome to La Liga, Fabrice!

Finally! A record is set that neither Messi nor Ronaldo can break!

At 16 years and 98 days old, Malaga's Fabrice Olinga became the youngest scorer in La Liga history.

The Cameroonian beat Iker Muniain's previous record by 191 days.

Some may say he just happened to be in the right place at the right time, but that would be very unfair to the youngster.

Just moments earlier, Olinga sent a shot off the inside of the post that sent the ball out for Diego Buonanotte who then set up the goal.

The teenager not only set a new league record, he gave his team three points in the dying minutes of the opening match.

Congratulations, Fabrice!

Best Moment: David Villa's Return

Barcelona supporter or not, most fans of La Liga were happy to see David Villa return to action.

After breaking his leg in the Club World Cup last winter, El Guaje ended up missing the rest of the season and the Euros this summer.

Against Real Sociedad, he finally made his return to the first team after eight long months.

And what a return it was!

Camp Nou got excited at just the sight of Villa warming up on the touchline and then went into to a chorus of cheers when he walked onto the pitch.

The fans then erupted when Villa capped off his return with this beautiful goal.

He found Andres Iniesta who then created space before sending the ball back to Villa who used his first touch to send a gorgeous ball into the net with his weak foot.

Welcome back, David! La Liga fans have missed you.

Please feel free to leave your comments and thoughts below.

Follow @MichaelCernaBR