A David Trezeguet hat-trick in the first 18 minutes kept Juventus firmly in charge in Serie A with a 3-1 win at Ascoli and Barcelona extended their Primera Liga domination with a 3-0 victory away to Real Mallorca at the weekend.
The Bundesliga resumed after the winter break in Germany where Bayern Munich are eight points clear of Werder Bremen after Friday's 3-1 win at Borussia Moenchengladbach.
French Ligue 1 leaders Olympique Lyon's game in Monaco was called off because of a flooded pitch. In FA Cup action in England, Manchester United and Liverpool both advanced to the fifth round but holders Arsenal went down 1-0 at Bolton Wanderers and Chelsea were held 1-1 at Everton.
Following is a round-up of weekend action in the main European leagues.
ITALY
David Trezeguet hit a hat-trick to hand leaders Juventus a 3-1 victory at Ascoli on Sunday, giving them 59 points from 22 matches.
Juve are eight points ahead of Inter Milan, who won 2-0 at Lecce. AC Milan are third on 47 points after a 1-1 draw with Sampdoria on Saturday.
Trezeguet was at his predatory best against Ascoli, scoring a rapid hat-trick and taking his goal tally in Serie A to 18.
He is three short of the division's leading scorer, Fiorentina striker Luca Toni, who was almost invisible during his fourth-placed side's 0-0 draw away to Udinese.
SPAIN
Argentine substitute Lionel Messi scored twice in six minutes in Barcelona's 3-0 win at Real Mallorca that keeps them 12 points clear in the Primera Liga.
Valencia clung to second place despite only drawing 2-2 at home against Real Zaragoza after fighting back from two goals down with seven minutes remaining.
Real Madrid climbed to third above Osasuna on goal difference and a point behind Valencia after a 2-1 win at Celta Vigo with goals by Brazilians Robinho and Cicinho.
Osasuna went down to their first home league defeat this season, 2-0 against Real Betis.
ENGLAND
It was FA Cup time in England and holders Arsenal were the highest-profile casualties of the fourth round when they lost 1-0 at bogey team Bolton Wanderers.
Arsenal had reached the semi-finals five seasons running but their weakened team went down to a late header by Greece winger Stelios Giannakopoulos.
The Premier League's bottom club Sunderland were knocked out by third division Brentford in the biggest shock of the round while Middlesbrough and Birmingham City were held to 1-1 draws by second division Coventry City and Reading respectively.
Manchester United and Liverpool advanced safely into Monday's fifth-round draw but league leaders Chelsea drew 1-1 at Everton.
GERMANY
Roy Makaay struck twice and Michael Ballack added a free kick as Bayern Munich picked up where they had left off at the end of 2005 with a 3-1 win at Borussia Moenchengladbach on Friday.
Makaay controlled a deflected through ball on his thigh and tucked home past Kasey Keller in the 13th minute and scored again with a fine volley in the 69th.
Bayern are eight points in front of Werder Bremen, who scraped a 1-0 win at Arminia Bielefeld on Sunday. Hamburg dropped to third with a 2-1 defeat at Nuremberg on Saturday.
After David Kobylik had struck a penalty against the bar for Bielefeld in the 24th minute, Werder's Frank Fahrenhorst headed in on the rebound from a Johan Micoud free kick 18 minutes from time for the points.
FRANCE
Lille stayed on course for a place in Europe next season by beating bottom side Metz 3-1 on Sunday.
The northerners stay fourth in Ligue 1, 14 points behind leaders Olympique Lyon whose game away to Monaco scheduled for Sunday was postponed because of a flooded pitch.
Now with a game in hand, Lyon are nine points clear of second-placed Girondins Bordeaux, who beat Racing Lens 1-0 on Saturday, and 12 in front of AJ Auxerre.
NETHERLANDS
Moroccan Adil Ramzi scored a hat-trick to help send Ajax Amsterdam stumbling to a 4-1 home defeat by Utrecht while Jefferson Farfan and Philip Cocu scored second-half goals to give leaders PSV Eindhoven a 2-0 win at ADO Den Haag.
After 21 matches PSV are top with 51 points, three points above Feyenoord, who cruised to a 4-0 win at Heracles Almelo to leapfrog AZ Alkmaar.
Ajax slipped to seventh with 34 points, having lost seven of their first 21 matches for the first time since 1980-81.
