A record-breaking brace, goalscorers at the double and Athletic's winning run

On matchday 27, the Liga BBVA was once again dominated by historic achievements, teams and players outdoing themselves and each other and, of course, goals. A week in which clubs benefited from star men and individual records, and in which the fans continued to enjoy unbeatable entertainment.

'Good' times for Rayo as Bueno makes history

Alberto Bueno is one of the men of the moment. A four-goal display two matchdays ago and a brace against Granada CF (3-1) on Saturday, one that saw Bueno (whose surname translates as 'good') carve his name into the Rayo Vallecano history books, are his two most recent feats. With 26 goals, he has overtaken Jon Pérez Bolo to go top of the Madrid side’s all-time list of Liga BBVA scorers. No-one has found the net more times than he has, and he’s unlikely to leave it there. This season and beyond, he appears perfectly placed to cement his position at the summit.

Two is the trend

Bueno wasn’t the only man to score two for his team this weekend. Braces and 2-0 victories have proved the recurring trend on matchday 27 of the Liga BBVA. Valencia CF, FC Barcelona, Málaga CF and Real Madrid CF all won by two goals as Lionel Messi, Carlos Bacca and Gareth Bale embraced the current fashion and each claimed doubles, the two-goal heroes’ hauls handing their teams three crucial points. 

Messi tops the goal charts

The Argentine’s excellent afternoon at Ipurua saw him move out on his own at the head of the Liga BBVA scoring charts. Following his double, Messi is now on 32 goals in 27 matchdays (21 with his feet, 3 with his head, 4 penalties and 4 free-kicks) and overtakes his chief rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, in a battle that promises to remain open and enthralling until the end of the league season. The Real Madrid forward, who was not on the scoresheet against Levante, stays on 30 and will be even hungrier for goals in the games to come.

Athletic’s resurgence

The Bilbao side have fulfilled the saying "every cloud has a silver lining" to the letter over recent games. The heavy defeat suffered by Ernesto Valverde’s men against Barcelona six matchdays ago has inspired them to push harder and send out a statement in the Liga BBVA. Since being on the receiving end of that 2-5 reverse at San Mamés, Athletic have picked up 13 points from a possible 15 to move to eighth in the blink of an eye. As the season reaches its pivotal period, they are back in the hunt.