Top 10 Performances from Around the World for Weekend of October 3-5
Another weekend of world football action has passed, leaving us with results and performances which shake up many of the major leagues around the globe.
Whether table-topping clashes or little-vs.-large games which didn't go as expected, we've been treated once more to a whole host of impressive 90 minute-matches to take our pick from in our top 10 performances of the week.
While usually we simply go for the dominant, all-encompassing, big-result kind of performances, there are many ways to play and win in football and our opening two sides are an indication of that.
10. Chivas USA
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We begin in MLS, where Chivas USA finally put their horrendous run of form to bed.
Without a win since mid-July, Chivas had suffered 11 defeats in 12 matches, failing to score in nine of them, before finally taking victory by a 1-0 scoreline against Real Salt Lake on Sunday evening.
A goal early in the second half was enough for the points as Chivas defended doggedly, taking their share of luck, true, but ultimately letting their opposition close enough to manage just one single shot on target throughout the game, despite dominating possession entirely.
9. Hamburger SV
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Into the Bundesliga and a similar story unfolds. Borussia Dortmund haven't started the season well domestically, but even so, few would have expected Hamburger SV to beat them at home.
BVB dominated possession, had more shots and certainly had the bigger names in attack, but HSV—who hadn't won a game all season—managed to take a 1-0 victory from the Signal Iduna Park.
HSV still have a long way to go to ensure they aren't burdened with another season of battling the drop, but this was a massive win for them nonetheless.
8. Olympique Lyonnais
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To France now and Ligue 1, where Olympique Lyonnais picked up their most impressive win of the season so far, defeating Lille 3-0.
Lille were the only side to really get close to the top two in the top flight last season, but Lyon were deserving of their victory in this game and were certainly the more clinical of the two.
It moves Lyon up to sixth in the table, one point behind Lille and three off second-placed Bordeaux.
7. Fiorentina
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Inter's unbeaten start to the Serie A season came to a crashing end last week against bottom club Cagliari, and Fiorentina ensured that pain endured this weekend by handing them another crushing defeat.
The match was a relatively back-and-forth affair with both sides enjoying spells on top, but while Fiorentina had the telling individuals in front of goal, Inter could only watch on with the misfiring Mauro Icardi and Dani Osvaldo.
Fiorentina leapfrog Inter with that 3-0 win, into ninth place.
6. Sevilla
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To Spain now, where Sevilla had made a good start to the season until they were flattened by Atletico Madrid last week.
They bounced back in impressive style though at the weekend, seeing off Deportivo La Coruna by a 4-1 scoreline and dominating the match enough so that the result didn't flatter the Andalusians in the slightest.
Sevilla even had enough of a comfortable lead to not be unduly worried by a missed Carlos Bacca penalty, though the Colombian had scored earlier in the game.
5. Bayern Munich
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Back to the Bundesliga, where Bayern Munich made light work of the threat posed to them by Hannover 96.
It was a professional, clinical and at times extremely exciting display by Bayern, who won 4-0 and could probably have doubled that tally with some ease had they not taken their collective foot off the gas in the second half.
Robert Lewandowski and Arjen Robben both netted a brace, but it was their link-up play and understanding which maybe pleased Pep Guardiola most. Bayern go four points clear at the top.
4. Cruz Azul
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Our final foray outside of Europe this week takes us to Mexico and the Liga MX.
America are clear at the top and had lost just once in their opening 11 games of this season before the weekend, but they were stopped in their tracks in some style by Cruz Azul in the Mexico City derby.
It was the home-side that won 4-0 against the table toppers, a scoreline that seems all the more impressive as it was only Cruz Azul's second win in six after an inconsistent run of late.
The match was close, at just 1-0, until the final five minutes—when Cruz Azul ran riot on the break and racked up a big scoreline.
3. Chelsea
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The big Premier League match of the weekend ended in the expected victory for Chelsea over Arsenal, as Jose Mourinho continued his dominance over rival Arsene Wenger.
It wasn't a huge scoreline but Chelsea were noticeably better than the Gunners in every department, putting in a controlled and professional display. They really did not need to do more than keep Arsenal at arm's length after taking the lead.
Better organised, better as a team and, crucially, with better individuals in key areas; Chelsea deserved the win by some margin and a 2-0 win was just reward for the table toppers.
2. Real Madrid
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We finish up with two results from Spain, starting with Real Madrid's thumping 5-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.
Most of the time, games against Spain's big two (or three, sometimes) are contests that weaker sides expect to not get much out of, but Athletic were given a hiding by Carlo Ancelotti's clinical side.
The league's top scorers fired early, leading inside two minutes, and didn't much let up the pace for the rest of the afternoon. It could have been a bigger scoreline if not for Athletic keeper Gorka Iraizoz.
1. Valencia
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The top performance of the weekend goes to seemingly the most-improved side this season in La Liga, Valencia.
Following last week's lethargic draw at Real Sociedad, they were back on top form to dispatch reigning champions Atletico Madrid 3-1 this weekend, starting quickly and being out of sight within the first quarter of an hour of the match.
Los Che were happy to cede possession thereafter and look to counter-attack, and played their role perfectly to largely keep Atletico at bay. Despite the number of efforts Atleti had, there was never too much of an indication that a second-half comeback was likely. Valencia stay in second, two points off the top.
