Highlights

In the wake of the LaMia Flight 2933 disaster which took the lives of 22 members of the Chapecoense football squad, the club has begun the painful process of building towards their new season with the aim of promoting players from their youth teams. While many seasoned professionals and other Brazilian clubs have offered their support with regards to personnel, Chapecoesne president Plinio David de nes Filho has maintained that the club will stay true to its roots and values.

Pachuca’s 4-2 victory over Leon to begin the 2017 Clausura was about one man, and one many only: Hirving “Chucky” Lozano. The 21-year-old attacker has long been touted the most promising player in Liga MX, and his play has largely evidenced that fact since his debut in 2014.

But Lozano looks to have reached a whole different level in 2016-17. His stunning hat trick against Leon on Saturday showcased his range of talents: speed and quickness, technical ability, an incredible shot and an increasing knack for goals from the wing.

Barcelona dropped points to Villarreal on Sunday after a 1-1 draw, but they have Lionel Messi to thank for keeping their fading La Liga title hopes alive. With Villarreal leading 1-0 in the 90th minute, Messi stepped forward to deliver another fantastic free kick.

Since the start of the 2015-16 season, Messi has scored on 12 direct free kicks for club and country, moving him into the upper echelon of dead ball specialists.

Christian Pulisic’s 2017 is off to a fine start after the 18-year-old American scored in Borussia Dortmund’s friendly victory over PSV Eindhoven during the Bundesliga’s winter break.

Yeah, it was only a friendly, but scoring a goal against Champions League opposition still probably means more than taking it to the Colorado Rapids. 

Pulisic scored off a Andre Schurrle cutback for Dortmund’s fourth goal in their 4-1 victory.

Real Madrid cruised to a 5-0 victory over Granada on Saturday, moving six points clear of Barcelona in the La Liga table. Goals from Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Casemiro and a brace from Isco condemned Granada to their tenth defeat of the season — they’re currently 19th in the table.

The Bernabeu crowd were treated to five goals within the hour, and Real Madrid made it 39 consecutive matches unbeaten, equalling the all time Spanish record.

The prematch festivities included a presentation of Cristiano Ronaldo’s fourth Ballon d’Or trophy. 

Wayne Rooney moved level with Bobby Charlton at 249 goals for Manchester United in the Red Devils 4-0 victory over Reading in the FA Cup third round. Rooney had been stuck on 248 since late November, but his smartly taken goal on Saturday put the 31-year-old on the brink of history.

Rooney’s goal opened the scoring in the seventh minute. Some fantastic play from Anthony Martial brought the ball to Juan Mata, and his clipped pass was deftly volleyed home by the man of the hour. 

If the rumors are to be believed, Manchester United are in hot pursuit of Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann, and, judging by Paul Pogba’s interview with FIFA.com, United’s world-record signing could help lure him to Old Trafford.

It’s shaping up to be one helluva second half to the Premier League season, and we have the month of December to thank for that. Chelsea strode to the top of the table, but Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester City are all keeping the pressure on. Behind the top four, Arsenal and Manchester United are within touching distance.

At the bottom, Hull City, Swansea and Sunderland occupy the relegation spots, but Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough and even Leicester City will be sweating over their upcoming fixtures.

Ray Hudson wasn't on this game for BeIN Sports, but he should have been, because WOW.

Sadly, this game probably won't count for anything because the second leg is at the Camp Nou and Barcelona are Barcelona. But it was fun, so it should be appreciated.

Athletic Bilbao opened the scoring, to the surprise of everyone.

When you’re undefeated in 38 consecutive matches, the adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” rings particularly true. Unfortunately for James Rodriguez, he’s not a beneficiary of Real Madrid's continuity. The Colombian captain has been limited to four La Liga starts this season, and his minutes across all competitions amount to not even eight full matches.