Valencia jumped above Deportivo Coruna and Real Madrid in the Primera Liga to join Arsenal, Roma, Stuttgart and Monaco on top of their respective divisions after the weekend's action in Europe's main leagues.
Valencia handed an off-colour Real Madrid side their first defeat of the season as they won 2-0 in the Mestalla on Saturday to take over at the top after Depor had earlier suffered a surprise 3-2 defeat at Osasuna, who moved up to fourth.
Rafa Benitez's Valencia side went in front after four minutes through Mista and a Ricardo Oliveira strike in the second half clinched a surprisingly comfortable win.
Valencia's victory put them top with 13 points from five games after Depor lost their 100 percent record by conceding three goals in a nightmare four-minute spell in the first half.
They dropped to second on 12 points with Real Madrid and Osasuna both on 10 in third and fourth respectively.
Nine-man Barcelona held Atletico Madrid to a goalless draw draw in a frantic encounter at the Vicente Calderon after midfielders Philip Cocu and Thiago Motta were dismissed in the second half for picking up their second bookings.
The Primera Liga was the only one of Europe's top leagues to see much change among the leading three teams as the main title contenders in Italy, England, Germany and France all won.
FIREPOWER
Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko struck twice for AC Milan as the European champions beat Lecce 3-0, while AS Roma overcame struggling Ancona by the same margin to join Juventus at the top of the Serie A standings.
All three teams have 10 points from four games.
With Filippo Inzaghi sidelined through injury, the pressure was on Shevchenko to deliver the firepower for Carlo Ancelotti's Milan side and he responded in style.
He struck on 21 and 69 minutes before striek partner Jon Dahl Tomasson's late third.
Vincenzo Montella, Francesco Totti and Marco Delvecchio scored second-half goals for Roma, while champions Juventus, who played on Saturday, eased to a comfortable 2-0 win at Reggina.
Inter Milan held on for a 0-0 draw at Udinese after being forced to play for more than hour with 10 men after Brazilian winger Luciano was sent-off.
Almost a week after being labelled a cheat and a diver, Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy made headlines for more noble reasons with a hat-trick in the 4-1 demolition of Leicester City.
The Dutchman, accused of cheating by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger during last weekend's tempestuous 0-0 draw at Old Trafford, was praised for his stirring performance by United boss Alex Ferguson.
"Ruud showed today he is a great player, a fantastic player. There can't have been many strikers as good as him over the years," he said.
United's victory kept them one point behind leaders Arsenal, who overcame Newcastle United 3-2 on Friday with Thierry Henry netting the winner from the penalty spot 10 minutes from time.
Arsenal have 17 points from seven matches, while Chelsea, who overcame Aston Villa 1-0 with a Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink goal, are second on 16, ahead of United on goal difference.
WARM-UP WIN
Bundesliga leaders VfB Stuttgart warmed up for their Champions League clash at home to Manchester United on Wednesday with a stylish 3-0 win at TSV 1860 Munich on Saturday.
Last season's runners-up, who have yet to concede a goal this season, stayed a point clear at the top and remain the only side yet to lose after seven games.
Werder Bremen moved up a place to second with a 4-1 victory at bottom club Cologne that put them ahead of third-placed Bayer Leverkusen, who won 1-0 at Vfl Wolfsburg, on goal difference.
Champions Bayern Munich, who had picked just one point from their last two games, needed a late goal from Dutch striker Roy Makaay for a 2-1 win at Hansa Rostock that lifted them one place up to fourth, three points off the pace.
In France, leaders Monaco maintained their one-point lead with a 3-0 win at home to second-from-bottom Toulouse.
The principality side, who face AEK Athens in teh Champions League on Tuesday, cruised to victory with goals from Emmanuel Adebayor, Edouard Cisse and Dado Prso.
Second-placed Olympique Marseille needed an injury-time penalty from Ivorian Didier Drogba, his second goal of the game, to overcome Nice 2-1 at the Stade Velodrome.
Monaco have 19 points from eight matches, Marseille 18 and Olympique Lyon and Nice 14.
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