Manchester United 2-0 Liverpool
Werder Bremen 3-1 Bayern Munich, Feyenoord 0-4 Ajax, Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona
It was one of those weekends when the European fixture computers picked a whole host of vital games across the leagues.
Despite being only the back end of October, there were some crucial games across Europe this weekend -- and some of the losing teams can count themselves out of the title race.
That probably applies to Liverpool, who visited their arch-rivals Manchester United on Sunday and left with a 2-0 loss, leaving them 11 points behind Chelsea and the Red Devils in the English Premiership.
A record Premiership crowd of 75,828 saw a pitiful Liverpool slump to defeat thanks to goals from Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand and barely put up a fight. Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez's continual tinkering and deployment of Steven Gerrard on the right has been blamed again for their listless display -- with former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp declaring that Gerrard would leave Anfield if he isn't played in his preferred centre midfield.
Crossing the channel to the French La Championnat, the undoubted game of the day saw first play second when five-times champions Lyon visited second place Marseille. Despite being five points behind the leaders, there was real belief that Marseille could beat Lyon and mount a credible challenge for Ligue Une.
Sadly for those wanting a competitive division this year, Lyon ended the weekend eight points clear with a decisive 4-1 beating of the side from Stade Velodrome. Juninho scored two (one a trademark free kick) for the away side, with Karim Benzema and Kim Kallstrom also weighing in for Lyon. Habib Bamogo got Marseille's goal, who also had Taye Taiwo sent off.
There was another heavy home defeat in the Netherlands -- Feyenoord routed 4-0 by Ajax in the biggest game of the season. Despite PSV's recent domination of the Eredivisie, it's this match-up that gets the headlines.
The side from Rotterdam had a bright start but had the wind kncoked out of them by Klaas-Jan Huntelaar's 11th minute goal from a corner. Huntelaar scored another before half time and Kenneth Perez scored two to complete Feyenoord's misery. Or so you'd think -- they actually managed to outdo Marseille in the home embarrassment front by also getting two players -- Sebastian Pardo and Pierre Van Hooijdonk -- sent off.
The only big game played on Saturday was between Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga. Thomas Schaaf's attacking Bremen side saw off Felix Magath's FC Hollywood 3-1 and no result from the weekend gave me more pleasure.
Diego opened the scoring for Werder, Pierre Wome's added a drilled free-kick while Roy Makaay got one back for Bayern in a busy first half. A Lucio own-goal sealed Werder's victory over the dour Bavarians -- now lying three points behind Werder who top the table on goal difference from Schalke.
Probably the most eagerly anticipated game was Sunday's El Clasico between Real Madrid
and Barcelona in La Liga. Despite Real's loss to Getafe last time out, hopes were high in the capital that Frank Rijkaard's Catalans could be defeated -- and wipe out the memory of last season's 0-3 Ronaldinho-inspired humbling at the hands of the Blaugrana.
Barca's loss to Chelsea in midweek showed they really missed their injured Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto'o and profligate finishing cost them again in Madrid, with Fabio Capello's Merengues running out 2-0 winners.
Raul's early goal forced Barca on the offensive and the extra space provided to the Spaniard, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Robinho proved costly. The former Man Utd striker scored Real's second and the young Brazilian ran riot.
Not that Barca didn't look threatening as well -- Lionel Messi in particular giving both Real full backs a torrid time. Sadly for them, Ronaldinho couldn't match his Argentinian team mate in the creative stakes and Eidur Gudjohnsen, Eto'o's replacement in the starting XI, wasted a few good chances.
Barca stay top, but Real get to within two points in fourth place.
Other big games over the weekend saw Sporting draw 1-1 with Porto when the top two clashed in the Portuguese Liga, AEK beat Panathinaikos 2-1 in the Athens derby in the Greek Alpha Ethniki and in yet another first versus second clash, Rosenborg inched closer to the Norwegian title after winning 3-1 at Brann.
