Many of their top players may have left Spain to join other leagues, but there's no doubt La Liga still entertains and thrills with those who remain, as well as those who have joined.
France
Paris Saint-Germain have turned on the style in recent weeks, both in Ligue 1 and in Europe, especially Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The Swede has scored an incredible nine goals in the last five games, including an outrageous donkey-kick strike against Bastia and then a blistering four-goal haul at Anderlecht. No wonder PSG bosses are delighted Ibra's signed a lucrative new contract.
However, other well-known Ligue 1 stalwarts are struggling, particularly the two Olympique sides: Marseille have lost five in a row in all competitions, so patience is wearing particularly thin at the Stade Velodrome, while Lyon have one win in nine domestically and are 14th.
Bordeaux lie 13th and are only just starting their recovery after a truly awful first two months of the season for the Coupe de France holders.
But teams who came up from Ligue 2 last season are all impressing in France's top division.
Monaco were always expected to, given the riches at Claudio Ranieri's disposal, but less predictable was the success of fourth-placed Nantes and particularly Guingamp in fifth - not a bad effort for a parish of less than eight-thousand people.
Germany
The Bundesliga already looks like a three-horse race, with Bayern Munich leading Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen by a single point, and those two nine points clear of the rest.
Pep Guardiola seems to be getting his tactical points across, but he'll soon have to incorporate Thiago Alcantara, who has resumed training after an early-season injury.
It's not clear where he'll fit in, with Javi Martinez, Philip Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger sharing the holding midfield roles - Guardiola would rather play one than two in that position.
Leverkusen were the beneficiaries of the major controversy in Germany so far this season - 'Das Phantomtor' or 'the ghost goal'.
In the end, the authorities decided their game at Hoffenheim won't be replayed, despite the fact Stefan Kiessling's ultimately winning header went through a hole in the side netting.
Still, keeping pace with Bayern and Dortmund is a clear sign that Sami Hyppia is cut out for management.
Dortmund have secured manager Jurgen Klopp's future through until 2018, despite the fact he only signed a new deal a year ago.
There is arguably no better pressing team in Germany, perhaps in Europe, but the opposition will now have wised up to that, and it's not an absolute given that the Germans will get out of their Champions League group.
Stuttgart and Hamburg have reaped the rewards of changing coaches early in the campaign - both have improved with Thomas Schneider and Bert van Marwijk at the helm respectively.
Nuremberg will be hoping that trick works for them too, as they, like Hamburg, swapped German for Dutch, sacked Michael Wiesinger and installed Gertjan Marbeek as the man to take them forward.
They face Freiburg this weekend, neither having managed a single win this season.
Europe's leagues are just starting to open up now, and this next month will sharpen the focus even more.
The fast-starters are hoping to prove themselves as contenders, while the established names will hope the strength and depth of their squads can keep them pushing on all fronts, league and cup, domestic and continental.
