Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi having finally arrived after struggling through the opening few weeks of the season. Both superstars got two chances to prove their mettle in week four of the 2015-16 season - once in the Champions League and a second time in the Spanish league. Both stars faced challenging UCL matches and "easy" Liga games and wound up with contrasting results in both games.
Which superstar was the winner of week 4?
Real Madrid's injury situation has turned into a crisis with the recent news that Gareth Bale will be out for a few matches. Add Sergio Ramos' dislocated shoulder on top of James Rodriguez and Danilo's own injuries and the team suddenly has a lot less depth than it did to start the year.
Real Madrid initiated its Champions League debut with a whopping 4-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk. It wasn't the prettiest of wins with the team essentially grinding out the game and winning thanks to some fortuitous calls and penalties. Nonetheless, a win is a win and a 4-goal margin is crucial to a team's long term success and mindset.
Here is a look at the numbers from the big game.
After going scoreless in the opening two matches of La Liga, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi opened their goalscoring accounts in the third week, both in decidedly different ways.
The United States was wiped out 4-1 by Brazil in an international friendly.
The game was the final tune-up for Jurgen Klinsmann's men before a decisive playoff against Mexico next month to determine which side competes in the 2017 Confederations Cup.
Unfortunately the team failed, leaving a bitter taste for fans. Here are some takeaways from the loss.
