It's been like two days since the international break kicked off, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic has wasted no time in going and getting his hair cut. Normally we really don't like it when players spring new haircuts on us, because more often than not they are horrific (think Pique). But, we are quite liking this look on Zla.

Well so much for posting fewer Top 25 lists! Turns out so many things happened this weekend, most of them flying in the face of our predictions, that we felt an update was in order. Here it is:
1. Real Madrid
Last ranking: 1
Record (wins-losses-ties, in all competition; two-leg match-ups count as one): 1-0-0
Results of note: None yet.

European champions Barcelona had an extra special day yesterday. Not only did they kick off the La Liga season at the Camp Nou with a 3-0 win over Sporting Gijon, but they signed defensive superstud Dmytro Chygrynskiy from Shakhtar for a cool €25m to pair with Puyol for the hairiest defensive partnership ever.

The world's top club leagues returned to action after a two week layoff for international matches. With one exception (you know who you are, Arsenal), the top clubs in our ranking won their games this weekend. Ahead of the UEFA Champions League schedule, which kicks off this week, things are about to get very interesting.

Here we go again!

It appears Barcelona will renew their efforts to sign Javier Mascherano and Cesc Fabregas at some stage in the future, after their director of football Txiki Begiristain was quoted by Sport as saying that the pursuit of the two midfielders is "something the club has left for later".

Albert Riera has dismissed talk that he could have joined Barcelona in the summer, insisting that he wanted to stay at "the biggest club in Europe".
The Catalan winger was linked with a move to Camp Nou as the Blaugrana sought a player to compete with Thierry Henry down the left, but nothing materialised.

Mexican with a bright future.

Despite being highly regarded at former club Barcelona, Mexican forward Giovani dos Santos has so far been unable to break into Tottenham Hotspur's first XI and was even loaned out to lower league club Ipswich Town last season. However, Spurs' manager Harry Redknapp insists the player still has a future at White Hart Lane.

Former Leeds United Striker Healy serves as a rare exception since he has become quite the unique phenomenon with Northern Ireland yet continues to underachieve on the club level. He even broke the record for goals scored in a qualifying campaign for a European Championship after scoring 13 goals in 11 appearances for his national team.

Is anyone surprised?!

It appears Barcelona will renew their efforts to sign Javier Mascherano and Cesc Fabregas at some stage in the future, after their director of football Txiki Begiristain was quoted by Sport as saying that the pursuit of the two midfielders is "something the club has left for later".

Después de abandonar el ciclismo, fundar en Suiza el Zurich FC y jugar al rugby en Lyon, Hans-Max Gamper Haessig, conocido en España como Joan Gamper (Winterthur, Suiza, 1877 - Barcelona 1930), fundó el FC Barcelona (29.11.1899) donde hizo 120 goles en 51 partidos durante cuatro temporadas, antes de constituirse en presidente de la institución.

After a successful first two Liga matches, Barca goes on to be tested by Atletico Madrid. We met them four times last season and achieved some great results, the memorable 6-0 standing out as the team's first big win at home that season; but the painful 3-4 loss in Madrid doesn't fade away to quickly either.

The big Round 3 match of "La Liga" tonight is the FC Barcelona vsAtletico de Madrid clash. The latter goes to "Camp Nou" in the worst conditions possible mentally, spiritually & form wise & risks a repeatof last years demolition job by Barça.Lets hope not...SEE VIDEO of last years 6-1 result:Surf into SFS late tonight for a full summary of this game & theother 4 matches scheduled for tonight.

So hey, you catch Barca, man? Shit hasn't changed, I know -- it's great. (Enough to raise a few words up out me, which hopefully precedes a fit of non-dormancy here in the future.)
Sure, they always rip Baby Madrid to shreds at the Camp Nou, and there really couldn't have been a worse game for Abel Resino to debut a raw, inchoate keeper in.

November 29th should be a date already marked on your calender. If your a Yank (like me) you might be thinking is this the date for Thanksgiving Day? Not really. Turkey Day is actually three days before this important date, but in a way this event is a lot like Thanksgiving Day.

FC Barcelona will be looking to register their first victory in this season's Champions League tonight when they face Dynamo Kiev at the Camp Nou. At the Guardiola described how important is this game and a failure to win will put emnormous pressure on the Barcelona side, especially we have to play at Ukraine and Russia in the onset of winter.

Ibrahimovic scores in his first La Liga game

Writer's Note: Unfortunately, WordPress does not recognize the "c" with an accent mark, so Bojan Krkic and Zlatan Ibrahimovic's names will not include an accent mark above the " c."

It is easy to overreact and overanalyze after one match and assume that whatever happens in that match will become a trend throughout the season; therefore, in evaluating Zlatan Ibrahimovic's performance in the Barcelona Sporting Gijón match on Monday night, hyperbole will not be the overall sentiment of this piece.

AP Photo/David Ramos

In an interview with Radio Gazette FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta made it clear that captain Carles Puyol will be signing a new contract with the team that would have him retiring at the Camp Nou. Laporta commented "we have already met with Puyol's agent and soon there will be a renewal, the coach is counting on him and the board is very proud to have Carles Puyol as captain.

- Looks like Leo Messi's been feeling kind of frisky lately - apparently, this photo of Xavi was taken by Leo himself, having snatched the camera from one of the photographers at a recent training session to snap a picture of his teammate. Leo couldn't possibly be any cuter, and he's got some serious camera skills too!

From Mark Hughes:

"We have high hopes for Vladi. He knows he is still very early in his development, when he came out of the Academy last year I think it was all a little bit too much for him. He found the step up difficult to negotiate initially.

"But, we knew we had a talented boy on our hands.

vs

It is only the first match of group play in the Champions League but much anticipation has already been built up for Wednesdays match in the San Siro. The off season saw the two teams swap big name players as Samuel Eto'o left the Camp Nou and both Maxwell and Zlatan Ibrahimovic joined the defending champions.

It's back... The biggest tournament in club football.. The ultimate prize.. The Champions League. Although we've already had the qualifying rounds, but this week is where we really get underway with the group stages. The majestic theme music, the multi screen coverage, and thankfully this season..

AP Photo/Luca Bruno

There was much build up around the Inter vs Barcelona match up, aka. Eto'o vs Ibrahimovic, but in the end the two teams battled to a draw at the San Siro. For FC Barcelona the emotions were mixed heading back to the Camp Nou as the team left Milan unscathed but should have walked away with a win having many opportunities on goal.

Zlatan Ibrahmovic, the tall Swedish Striker has been the focus point of all discussion regarding FC Barcelona this season, and I firmly believe that this is going to continue throughout this season. Guardiola's decision to replace swap Eto with Ibrahmovic did raise some eyebrows (including mine) and Zlatan's every action on the pitch will be under the scanner for the whole season.

The matches to watch after you realize that you've been celebrating Oktoberfest non-stop since the last one ended. And that your liver hates you.

Saturday

West Ham v Liverpool at Upton Park Perhaps the best Premier League match on a day of meh fixtures.

D.C. United supporter - and proud member of La Barra Brava - Gina Rivera recently made a trip to Barcelona and saw Camp Nou in person. She packed her Barra Brava flag and carted it around the whole country with the sole purpose of taking the photo below.. that's dedication!

Source: The GuardianAuthor: Paul HaywardBarcelona won the Champions League with unanswerable majesty, but as if to make it more interesting this time round, Pep Guardiola, the all-conquering rookie coach, has exchanged the speed and directness of Samuel Eto'o for the more static and egocentric talents of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

FC Barcelona will be looking to continue with their perfect run when they take on Atletico Madrid. FC barcelona has won their two La Liga matches, meanwhile Atletico start has been very poor - they lost to Malaga and drew with Racing last week; they currenly lie in the 18th place in the table.

Estuve de cenando en un restaurante en que los platos son números, celebrando un cumpleaños. Quién podía imaginar que el plato 52 se podía convertir en un 5 a 2 premonitorio de lo que iba a suceder en el Camp Nou. Y es que el Barça pasó como un rodillo por encima del Atlético de Madrid.

It was a very busy week in topflight soccer, with Top 25 clubs playing twice, oftentimes against each other. Remarkably, there were no major upsets to report, leaving the top 10 very much unchanged. The second tier, however, was all shook up. Let's get to it:
1. Real Madrid
Last ranking: 1
Record (wins-losses-ties, in all competition; two-leg match-ups count as one): 4-0-0
Results of note: None yet.

Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy returned after a long spell on the sidelines to provide an assist and score another in his side's emphatic 5-0 victory over La Liga minnows Xerez. While the focus of the game initially remained on another former Manchester United star, Cristiano Ronaldo who scored twice to make it six goals in his four appearances it was his Dutch teammate who eventually created most of the headlines.

This is a sign of the times
After a three month 'think tank' it has been decided that following on from the huge success of the EFW Gallery parts 1, 2 and 3 - we should launch another which is both bigger and better and call it: the EFW Gallery Part.......wait for it.....4 (genius and relax - Ed).

Internazionale vs FC Rubin Kazan

A match against the Champions from Russia might be exactly what the doctor ordered for Internazionale after some poor performances recently. Inter lost their first league game of the season on Saturday against Sampdoria and the week before had put in a very unconvincing match against Napoli in a 3-1 win.