Topics: La Liga, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético, Athletic Club, Isco, Lionel Messi, Yannick Carrasco
The player born in Málaga stole all the headlines with his performance against Sporting while reaching personal records in La Liga.

In the weekend prior to El Clásico, neither Real Madrid nor Barcelona dropped points, which means that Los Blaugranas are still in contention to win La Liga if they can beat Los Blancos next Sunday.

Lionel Messi stepped up and delivered a fine performance for Barcelona, while Real Madrid saw the rise of an unsung hero: Isco. The midfielder was crucial for their 3-2 win against Sporting, forcing fans to request a contract extension for the playmaker.

Here are five talking points about this weekend's La Liga action.

Pichichi race

Lionel Messi extended his lead as the best striker in the Spanish top flight, following his two-goal display against Real Sociedad on Saturday evening. He now holds a five-goal lead over Luis Suárez, while Cristiano Ronaldo is now ten goals behind "La Pulga".

Standings after Matchday 32

No changes have taken place at the top of the league with one of the most crucial matchups taking place next weekend. In the battle to avoid relegation, Osasuna and Granada seem to be doomed after one more week with disappointing results for both clubs.