Spain's matchday 23 sees Barca crisis, Bale's return, fast hat-trick

Matchday 23 of the Liga Santander in Spain saw Gareth Bale return after nearly three months out with injuries, while Atletico Madrid striker Kevin Gameiro scored the second fastest hat-trick in the history of the league. Here are some of the key points from the weekend.

1) The Barca crisis is real

Leo Messi may have opened the scoring after 3 minutes and scored a last minute penalty as FC Barcelona defeated Leganes 2-1 in the Camp Nou stadium, but the 86 minutes between Barca's first and second goals of the game did nothing to restore confidence to a side which suffered a 4-0 thrashing to Paris Saint German in the Champions League five days earlier.

Barca coach Luis Enrique once again made sweeping changes to his side's midfield, but for parts of the game Barca were second best against a side with a fraction of their budget and in their first season in the top flight.

It is worth noting that apart from Messi, Ter Stegen was Barca' s most decisive player. The boos that could be heard from the stand directed at coach Luis Enrique make another thing clear: despite the result, Barca look to be lost with a coach who is unsure about what it will take to get them back on track.

2) Gareth Bale will give even more to Real Madrid

Gareth Bale needed just 10 minutes to show Real Madrid what they have been missing for the 88 days he has been out with an ankle injury. A pass into space from Isco saw him galloping forward through an Espanyol defense (which had pushed forward looking for an equalizing goal) and he finished with a low shot into the bottom corner of the net. In that flash of brilliance, he showed what he can give to a side that is at ease playing on the break, and with ambitions to complete a league and Champions League double this season.

The return leg of the Champions League in Napoli looks will likely be an easier feat given what Bale provides in terms of counter-attack.

3) Deportivo are in the relegation struggle

A 1-0 defeat at home to Alaves on Saturday means that despite not playing all that badly, Deportivo la Coruna have lost their last three matches and are just three points above the relegation zone.

Gaizka Garitano's men can consider themselves unlucky after hitting the woodwork before Manu Garcia's penalty saw three more points fly away from Riazor, but they have been unlucky so often that one begins to wonder if structural problems are to blame.

Deportivo lost striker Lucas Perez in the summer and have struggled to score goals without him, while the fact they have dropped points in the last minute or in injury time no fewer than five times in the campaign hints at a fatal tendency to sit back and defend. What Deportivo fans may be left wondering if a change of coach is needed in order to realize a change of fortunes.

4) Goals can come in quick sucession when players are willing to press

Atletico Madrid striker Kevin Gameiro hadn't scored since Nov. 27 in the Liga Santander when he came on as a 61st minute substitute for Fernando Torres as Atletico looked for all three points away to Sporting Gijon.

The home side worked hard and pressed all game, but Gameiro was decisive with goals in the 81st, 82nd and 85th minutes to take the points back to the Vicente Calderon. After three months without a goal, he needed just 4.45 minutes to net a hat-trick: the second fastest in the history of the league.

After the final whistle he told the press he dedicated the goals to his grandmother who had passed away during the week, a reminder to all of us that there is more to life than football.

source: Xinhua