LONDON: Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 14th and 15th goals to set a record scoring start in a La Liga season as Real Madrid eased to a 5-0 win at Levante on Saturday, while fellow Champions League combatants Juventus dropped their first points of the Serie A season.

Ronaldo’s double helped him break a record that had stood since the 1943-44 season when Oviedo’s Esteban Echevarria scored 14 goals through the first eight rounds.

The Ballon d’Or holder opened from the penalty spot in the 13th minute before Javier Hernandez headed home to double Madrid’s lead before half-time.

Ronaldo added another goal in the 61st, increasing his league-leading tally to 15 goals in eight rounds despite missing one game due to injury, before sweet finishes from James Rodriguez and Isco rounded out the scoring for the European champions.

Real’s victory moved them provisionally into second place, four points behind leaders Barcelona ahead of next weekend’s Clasico showdown.

Lionel Messi notched his 250th La Liga goal to move one off the all-time league scoring record as Barca won 3-0 against Eibar at the Nou Camp.

Barca needed Xavi to come to the rescue on the hour to finally break the resistance of a resolute Eibar side who are enjoying their first season in the top flight.

Neymar quickly added to the lead and then combined with Messi for the Argentine, who this week celebrated 10 years since his Barca debut, to reach a quarter-century of La Liga goals and move one behind Telmo Zarra’s record of 251 goals for Athletic Bilbao in the 1940s and ‘50s.

Before the Clasico, though, Barca face Ajax Amsterdam in the Champions League on Tuesday while Real visit Liverpool on Wednesday.

“I think we are arriving well into this week. We had a difficult game to prepare here, but we played very well and seriously. We were very concentrated and it all went well,” said Real coach Carlo Ancelotti.

“Now we have time to, firstly recover some players, and then think about the game on Wednesday.”

ROMA CLOSE GAP

Juve are also in action in Europe’s premier club competition in midweek when they visit Olympiakos in Group ‘A’ on Wednesday.

However, the Serie A champions head into the match after seeing their winning start to the Serie A season end on Saturday as they were held to a 1-1 draw at minnows Sassuolo allowing AS Roma, who beat Chievo Verona 3-0, to move within a point of the lead.

After six straight wins, the Turin team found it hard going against a determined and energetic Sassuolo who took a shock lead in the 13th minute through Simone Zaza.

Paul Pogba levelled six minutes later with a magnificent strike but Massimiliano Allegri’s visitors struggled to find a way through a determined home defence and have 19 points from seven games while Roma are on 18 points.

Mattia Destro and Adem Ljajic scored before a penalty from Francesco Totti ensured the capital side head into Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Group ‘E’ rivals Bayern Munich full of confidence.

But Roma coach Rudi Garcia admitted facing Bayern would be an altogether different affair. “Bayern are ready ... but we’re counting on a red hot atmosphere at the Olimpico. We can’t wait, it will be a fantastic game.”

BAYERN ROUT BREMEN

Bundesliga leaders Bayern warmed up for Tuesday’s clash with 6-0 rout of Werder Bremen to protect their four-point lead at the top of the table on Saturday as former Germany captain Philipp Lahm and Mario Geotze both scored twice at the Allianz Arena..

“It is usually a bit difficult coming back from an international break but we played really well,” Bayern coach Pep Guardiola told reporters. “We now have three more points and can focus on our Champions League game.”

Max Kruse scored twice as Borussia Moenchengladbach eased past Hanover 96 3-0 to go second in the table with 16 points from eight games, two points ahead of both Mainz 05 and VfL Wolfsburg.

Mainz beat Augsburg 2-1while Wolfsburg won by the same score-line at Freiburg as midfielder Daniel Caligiuri scored twice against his old club.

Bayer Leverkusen, who host Zenit St Petersburg in the Champions League on Wednesday, threw away a three-goal lead in their 3-3 draw at plucky VfB Stuttgart to sit sixth on 13 points.

Borussia Dortmund’s horror league run continued as they lost 2-1 at Cologne to go five Bundesliga games without a win and drop to 14th on seven points, ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League clash at Galatasaray.

Schalke 04, hosting Sporting Lisbon in Group ‘G’ of Europe’s premier club competition on Tuesday, eased past Hertha Berlin 2-0 with goals from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Julian Draxler as new coach Roberto Di Matteo enjoyed a winning debut on the bench.

MONACO BACK ON TRACK

Monaco continued their mini-revival, and set down a marker for their midweek Champions League home tie against Benfica on Wednesday when Joao Moutinho’s early goal inspired them to a 2-0 home win against Evian Thonon Gaillard in Ligue 1.

Last season’s runners-up, who got off to a mediocre start this term, lie in 11th place with 14 points, provisionally eight adrift of leaders Olympique de Marseille.

Midfielder Fabien Lemoine scored a late winner to help St Etienne win 1-0 at Lorient and move into fourth place with 17 points from eight matches.

Lille wasted a chance to move above St Etienne and provisionally take third spot after slumping to a surprise 2-1 home defeat against En Avant Guingamp which keeps them on 15 points, level with six-placed Metz and one behind Nantes who are fifth.

Metz drew 0-0 with Rennes while Nantes were held 1-1 at home by struggling Reims.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2014