Bale's new deal, Higuain's non-celebration headline weekend in Europe
As Matchday Four of Champions League group stage looms, the weekend yielded yet another intriguing round of league action around Europe. The big three–Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid–all won in Spain, but there was one player who emerged as the real winner, hitting the jackpot with a lucrative new contract. It’s tight at the top in England too, with one point separating the top two sides, and even Watford moved into the top seven. Its new coach, Walter Mazzarri, has had a major impact in his short time there.
Elsewhere, Juventus extended its lead at the top of Serie A as Gonzalo Higuain scored the winner against his former side Napoli. In Germany, Bayer Leverkusen beat Wolfsburg to keep under-pressure Roger Schmidt at ease. Meanwhile, in France, speculation continues to swirl around the future of Marco Verratti at Paris Saint-Germain, while Mario Balotelli and Nice remain in first place.
Here is what caught our eye around Europe this week:
