SPAIN
Marco Asensio struck an instant classic as Real Madrid returned to winning ways with a 3-0 win over Las Palmas.
After back-to-back defeats at the hands of Girona and Tottenham, victory was essential for Zinedine Zidane's side and goals from Casemiro, Asensio and Isco delivered it.
Asensio's will linger longest in the memory, an inconceivably sweet half-volley which mixed rare precision with maximum power.
Three points mean Real remain eight adrift of rivals and LaLiga leaders Barcelona but the mini-slump has at least been emphatically arrested.
Girona followed up last weekend's dream result with another win at Levante, jumping into the top half of LaLiga in the process.
After upsetting the defending champions last weekend, the Catalonians were 2-1 winners at Estadi Ciutat de Valencia.
Christian Stuani was on the scoresheet again, as he was against Real, with Borja Garcia opening the scoring for Girona and Enes Unal claiming the hosts' late consolation.
At Balaidos, Celta Vigo swept Athletic Bilbao aside 3-1. The sides were level on 11 points at kick-off but it was the hosts who made made the move towards mid-table with a decisive spell of three goals in 10 minutes.
Sergi Gomez got the ball rolling just after the quarter-hour before Spain striker Iago Aspas netted twice in quick succession to effectively kill the game.
Raul Garcia pulled one back before the break but that was as good as it got for Athletic, who have now lost four in a row.
Villarreal moved fifth after seeing off rock-bottom Malaga 2-0 at Estadio de la Ceramica. Nicola Sansone grabbed both of the goals in the space of eight second-half minutes, to leave the visitors rooted to the basement and the Yellow Submarine in the hunt for Champions League football.
Real Sociedad defeated visiting Eibar 3-1. Willian Jose, Adnan Januzaj and Mikel Oyarzabal all registered for Sociedad before Joan Jordan hit back in consolation.
ITALY
Second-half goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Juan Cuadrado spared Juventus' blushes as they came from behind to inflict a 12th straight Serie A defeat on struggling Benevento.
After Juve's Douglas Costa had twice hit the woodwork, basement boys Benevento stunned the Allianz Stadium crowd when Amato Ciciretti's 19th-minute free-kick landed in the back of Wojciech Szczesny's net.
But Higuain volleyed in his fifth goal in four games in all competitions to level things up 12 minutes into the second period, before Cuadrado nodded in eight minutes later to secure the points.
The result lifts Juve above Inter Milan into second, just one point behind leaders Napoli after they were held to a 0-0 draw at Chievo.
Veteran Chievo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino frustrated the Serie A pacesetters as he made important saves to deny Lorenzo Insigne and Marek Hamsik as Napoli poured forward in search of a winner.
Inter Milan also dropped points as they drew 1-1 with Torino in Sunday's early kick-off.
Beginning the day two points behind leaders Napoli, Inter had the chance to go top of the table - for a few hours at least - but it was not to be as they failed to win at San Siro for the first time this season.
The hosts fell behind in the 59th minute when Iago Falque rifled the ball into the bottom corner of Samir Handanovic's net.
But Eder levelled things up with 11 minutes remaining to earn Inter a share of the spoils on a frustrating afternoon.
Gerson scored twice as Roma beat Fiorentina 4-2 in a thrilling encounter.
The Brazilian put the visitors ahead after five minutes and, after Jordan Veretout had scored a ninth-minute equaliser, Gerson netted Roma's second on the half-hour mark.
Giovanni Simeone had Fiorentina back on level terms before the break but the hosts had no response to second-half strikes from Kostas Manolas and Diego Perotti as Roma took the points.
In Sunday's late kick-off, goals either side of half-time from Alessio Romagnoli and Suso gave AC Milan a 2-0 victory at Sassuolo.
Defender Romagnoli nodded in Hakan Calhanoglu's deflected right-wing cross before Spanish winger Suso cut in from the right to fire into the far corner.
Cagliari secured their second home win on the bounce as goals from Luca Ceppitelli and Paolo Farago helped them to a 2-1 victory over struggling Hellas Verona.
The visitors had opened the scoring through Bruno Zuculini in the sixth minute but a goal in either half saw Cagliari take all three points.
Elsewhere, Luca Rizzo scored a superb equaliser as newly-promoted SPAL hit back to claim a 1-1 draw at 10-man Atalanta.
Midfielder Rizzo cut in from the left to curl into the top-right corner and cancel out Bryan Cristante's first-half opener, before the hosts had Switzerland midfielder Remo Freuler sent off for a dangerous tackle on Federico Viviani in the 69th minute.
Meanwhile, Lazio's clash with Udinese was postponed due to heavy rain at the Stadio Olimpico.
FRANCE
Ugly scenes marred the end of Lyon's 5-0 derby destruction of bitter rivals St Etienne as angry home fans temporarily delayed the match by invading the pitch.
Supporters spilled on to the field in the 85th minute at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard after Lyon captain Nabil Fekir celebrated the visitors' fifth goal of the evening by controversially taking off his shirt and raising it in front of them.
Play was suspended for around 20 minutes before both teams returned to the field to complete the Ligue 1 match.
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas was quick to condemn the trouble, calling it "scandalous" on his official Twitter account.
It was an evening to forget for the home side from the moment Holland international forward Memphis Depay calmly rolled in the away side's 10th-minute opener, before Fekir drove home the second from the edge of the box 15 minutes later.
The hosts' uphill task became even more difficult when defender Leo Lacroix was sent off for scything down Fekir on the touchline two minutes into the second half and they were made to pay as Mariano Diaz and Bertrand Traore added further goals.
France international midfielder Fekir further compounded their misery by tucking in a late fifth, sparking the unsavoury scenes with his provocative behaviour.
There was also controversy at the Stade Velodrome where Marseille supporters held up banners criticising suspended defender Patrice Evra ahead of their 5-0 Ligue 1 thrashing of Caen.
The former Manchester United full-back aimed a kick at one of the club's fans before Thursday's Europa League game at Vitoria and on Sunday OM fans displayed messages which included the phrases "Evra go away" and "respect supporters".
On the pitch, France forward Florian Thauvin scored twice to help his side to fourth in the table with a convincing win.
Brazilian midfielder Luiz Gustavo struck the first-half opener, while midfielder Morgan Sanson and Greece striker Kostas Mitroglou were also on target in between Thauvin's two goals.
Elsewhere, striker Mario Balotelli scored the winner and was later sent off as Nice ended their four-match losing streak by beating Dijon 1-0.
The former Manchester City and Liverpool man converted a 39th-minute penalty into the bottom right corner to claim his sixth league goal of the campaign after Alassane Plea was pulled down in the area by Jordan Marie.
Balotelli's afternoon ended on a sour note, however, as he was shown a straight red card in the closing minutes for a tackle from behind on Dijon defender Cedric Yambere.
In Sunday's other fixture, struggling Lille recorded just their second victory of the campaign by beating bottom club Metz 3-0.
Ivory Coast forward Nicolas Pepe scored twice for the visitors - a penalty and a placed finish - either side of a drilled shot from midfielder Fares Bahlouli.
