GOALS GALORE IN ESPANA

The Primera Liga season kicked off with a number of unexpected twists before the international break as defending Champions Real Madrid and Champions League semi-finalists Barcelona suffered surprise defeats.

Surely week two could not match that? No. It did not match it, it bettered it!

On Saturday evening, fans inside Sevilla's San Mames stadium were treated to an incredible game of football as the Andalucian's were given a real fright by newly promoted Sporting Gijon.

Twenty fairly unproductive minutes had passed before Mate Bilic capitalised on two defensive errors in as many minutes to hand the underdogs a 2-0 lead. Sevilla blasted back with three goals in fifteen minutes from Javier Chevanton, Freddi Kanoute and Enzo Maresca to take a a 3-2 lead before the 40-minute mark.

However, Sporting hitman Bilic dispatched an injury time penalty to collect his hat-trick and send them teams into the interval on level terms. Sevilla pressed after the break and Kanoute struck for the second time to give them a 4-3 victory.

Meanwhile, Barcelona were being held 1-1 at home by Racing Santander and in-form Atletico Madrid were turned over my unfancied Real Valladolid.

Moving onto Sunday and the free-scoring football continued.

Real Madrid twice went behind at home to Numancia - who defeated Barca on the opening day - before storming into a 4-2 half-time lead at the Santiago Bernabeu. The visitors garabbed a goal back in the 57th minute and Iker Casillas had to be in top form to deny Numancia a well-deserved point.

A little later on and David Villa's third goal of the season rescued Valencia at Almeria. The hosts took the lead through expensive summer import Pablo Piatti but Alexis levelled for the men from the Mestalla just before the break. However, parity lasted a mere 60-seconds as Alvaro Negredo's header looped over Renan on the stroke of half-time.

Almeria, who caused a number of upsets last term, looked set to take all three points but Euro 2008 winner Villa - who moneybags Manchester City were quoted the princely sum of £121million for this week (that is not a misprint) - found a way through in the closing stages to equalise.

Sky Sports were probably the biggest winners courtesy of their live coverage of two seven-goal thrillers at the Bernabeu and San Mames, as well as the ding-dong battle in Almeria.

Perhaps the Premier League is not all it's cracked up to be...is La Liga the new home of 'blink and you miss it' football?