La Liga Lowdown
383 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago - ★★★★ - 24 ratingsA brand new weekly mini-podcast bringing you the best in Spanish football, focusing on LaLiga, arguably the best league in the world. We'll tell you not just what happened, but how and why, using our extensive squad of reporters spread throughout Spain. We'll have big-name interviews with current and former players and managers from LaLiga, and we'll truly interact with our listeners, featuring them in our content, encouraging their comments and challenging them regularly. Follow us and chat with us on Twitter: twitter.com/LaLigaLowdown Watch our videos on YouTube: youtube.com/c/LaLigaLowdown Insight. Interviews. Interaction. In English. Spanish Football. Sorted.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
El Gran Derbi: What makes Betis vs Sevilla so special?
November 07, 2019 05:00 - 27 minutes - 25 MBThere's a Seville derby coming up on Sunday, November 10th, so what better time than now to ask what makes this fixture so special? In this podcast we hear from Betis fan David Whitworth (@DCWh1tw0rth) of Radio Betis and Sevilla fan Chris Lail (@ChrisLail) of @MonchisMen to hear their favourite derby memories. Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee), Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Sam Leveridge (@samleveridge) also join in to narrate the story of this rivalry. Colin Millar (@Millar_Colin), the author...
Matchday 12 recap: Valencia 2-0 Catalonia
November 04, 2019 05:00 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBThe 12th round of the 2019/20 LaLiga season is in the books and we review all the main talking points here. Saturday was a great day for the Valencian Community and less so for the Catalan teams as Levante beat Barcelona and as Valencia defeated Espanyol. We have Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) and Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) to discuss all of that at the beginning of the show. We also reflect on the dramatic 1-1 draw between Sevilla and Atlético Madrid with Gregor Chappelle (@GregorChappelle)...
Matchday 11 recap: Messi is back!
November 01, 2019 05:00 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MBIn this Friday edition of La Liga Lowdown, we recap the midweek round as Barcelona moved back to the top of the table thanks to some Lionel Messi magic. He is well and truly back, as explained by Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee). There's a lot more to discuss too. Host Euan McTear speaks about Real Madrid's big win, Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) analyses Alavés and Atlético Madrid's sharing of the spoils, Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) breaks down the Valencia and Sevilla draw, Alex Fitzpatrick (@Mal...
Matchday 10 recap: Granada rise, Betis sink and Leganés win a match
October 28, 2019 05:00 - 26 minutes - 24.3 MBBarça who? Real Mad-what? There was ultimately no Clásico this weekend, but LaLiga still produced nine entertaining matches and countless storylines. We go through them all in this week's La Liga Lowdown podcast, starting with the new table-toppers Granada. We also discuss Real Betis' woes with David Whitworth (@DCWh1tw0rth), Real Valladolid's good run of form with Martin Devlin (@MartiRVCF), the latest at Athletic Club and Real Sociedad with Dan Parry (@Dan Parry), Pablo Machín's encourag...
João Félix: How far has he come and how far can he go?
October 24, 2019 04:00 - 23 minutes - 21.8 MBJoão Félix became one of the star players in world football in the space of just a few months. The Benfica academy graduate rose to prominence at the beginning of 2019 and earned a huge transfer to Atlético Madrid in the summer. In this podcast, we look at the story so far for the 19-year-old and at what his future could look like. Host Euan McTear (@emctear) hears from Cristiano Oliveira (@10CO10) of the @BenficaPodcast about his rise through the Benfica academy, from Matt Clark (@MattCla...
Matchday 9 recap: Real Mallorca bump Real Madrid off top spot
October 21, 2019 04:00 - 24 minutes - 22.1 MBBarcelona have moved to the top of the LaLiga table, thanks to their win in Eibar and Real Madrid's defeat at Real Mallorca. Alex Fitzpatrick (@Mallorcalex100) was there on the island for this momentous game and discusses the famous result. We also take a look at the big Atlético vs Valencia match with Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG), at Athletic Club's latest stumble with Dan Parry (@DanParry_) and at Pablo Machín's Espanyol debut of mixed feelings with Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee). There's a...
October international break recap: Spain reach Euro 2020... with some doubts
October 16, 2019 03:00 - 26 minutes - 24 MBSpain have qualified for Euro 2020, but they went about it the hard way. Two 1-1 draws away at Norway and Sweden mean they'll be taking part in next summer's tournament and it's clear that Robert Moreno has a lot of work to do before then. Host Euan McTear (@emctear) is joined by Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) and Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) to discuss the Spain team, from Fabián Ruiz being brilliant to the never-ending goalkeeper debate to a possible Ramos-Albiol centre-back partnership. Plu...
The La Liga Lowdown followers' Euro 2020 Spain squad
October 10, 2019 04:00 - 34 minutes - 32 MBWe asked you, our followers, to vote for your ideal 23-man Spain squad for next summer's Euro 2020 tournament... and here are this results in this podcast! Host Euan McTear (@emctear) walks through the 23 players who made the cut - three goalkeepers, eight defenders, eight midfielders and four forwards. For each player, there is analysis from journalists from the various leagues where these players ply their trade. Contributions come from Jeremy Beren (@JBBeren), Kiyan Sobhani (@KiyanSo), ...
Matchday 8 recap: Osasuna's super record, Aspas gets going and Real Madrid stay top
October 07, 2019 04:00 - 24 minutes - 22.7 MBThe big teams have risen to the top of the LaLiga table, with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid now occupying the top three spots. We discuss Real Madrid and Barça's latest victories, as well as Atlético's latest setback. We analyse Luis Suárez's good form with Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee), we get tactical when discussing Celta Vigo's win with Ian Morris (@CeltaUSA) and we wonder if fatigue will be a major factor as Valencia's season develops with Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG). There...
Joaquín: Player, Captain, Shareholder, Legend
October 03, 2019 04:00 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBJoaquín is a legend. He's in his 20th season of professional football and, in this week's La Liga Lowdown Thursday episode, we look back at his entire career. Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) discusses his rise through the ranks at Real Betis. Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) reflects on his strange transfer to Valencia and time at Mestalla. Sam Leveridge (@samleveridge) talks about Joaquín's involvement in the Málaga project. David Whitworth (@DCWh1tw0rth) explains how much of a Real Betis legend J...
Matchday 7 recap: A thriller, a not-so-thriller and Paco makes Valencia fans chuckle in Bilbao
September 30, 2019 04:00 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBThe seventh round of the 2019/20 LaLiga season is in the books and we've had the first big match between title rivals of the season as Real Madrid visited Atlético. There weren't any goals in that one, as the goals were saved for Sevilla vs Real Sociedad. We discuss those two matches and so much more. Host Euan McTear (@emctear) reflects on his trip to the Basque Country to see Eibar and Athletic Club and catches up with Dan Parry (@DanParry_) outside San Mamés. Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) a...
Matchday 6 recap: Brazilian fun at the Bernabéu, comeback drama in Eibar and Joaquín's alternative hat-trick
September 27, 2019 03:00 - 26 minutes - 24 MBThe first midweek round of the 2019/20 LaLiga season was held across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights and the La Liga Lowdown squad was all over it. In this podcast, get the lowdown from across the country on the top storylines of matchday six. We've got David Whitworth (@DCWh1tw0rth) on Real Betis, Alex Fitzpatrick (@Mallorcalex100) on Real Mallorca, Sam Leveridge (@samleveridge) on Real Madrid, Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) on Barcelona, Gregor Chapelle (@GregorChappelle) on Sevilla...
Matchday 5 recap: Granada beating Barça, just wow!
September 23, 2019 04:00 - 25 minutes - 23.3 MBAthletic Club and Real Madrid are the new leaders of LaLiga Santander on 11 points and we look at their victories over Alavés and Sevilla, as well as discussing Granada's hugely impressive victory over a Barcelona side that just cannot win away from home. We discuss that special Granada night with a man who was there, Heath Chesters (@HeathGCF). We talk Real Madrid with Kristofer McCormack (K_mc06). There's a chat with Jeremy Beren (JBBeren) of @IntoTheCalderon about Atlético Madrid's diff...
Espanyol's run to the 2007 UEFA Cup final
September 19, 2019 04:00 - 23 minutes - 21.5 MBAs the 2019/20 Europa League group stages get under way with Espanyol participating, we look back on the Catalan club's previous European adventure. Back in 2006/07, they went all the way to the final at Hampden Park in Glasgow, where they lost to Sevilla on penalties. In this La Liga Lowdown episode, we discuss their qualification for that year's tournament, their route to the final, their coach Ernesto Valverde and discuss what it was like to experience that special game. Hosted by Euan ...
Matchday 4 recap: What's happening at Valencia and how amazing is Ansu Fati?
September 16, 2019 04:00 - 25 minutes - 23.2 MBClub football has returned and it has done so with plenty of drama. All of that is discussed in this LaLiga matchday four recap. 16-year-old Ansu Fati had a breakout performance for Barcelona, one that Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) reflects on. Valencia had their first match since the shock sacking of Marcelino and Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) tries to work out what's going on. Real Sociedad christened the redeveloped Anoeta with a win and Spanish stadium expert Chris Clements (the man behind...
Valencia: Back-to-back Champions League final heartbreak
September 12, 2019 03:00 - 22 minutes - 21 MBValencia have never won the Champions League, but they have been to the final twice. Two years in a row, in fact. They reached the finals in 2000 and 2001, losing to Real Madrid and to Bayern Munich, and this Thursday's La Liga Lowdown podcast looks back on those two memorable European campaigns. Joachim Björklund, a centre-back in those Valencia squads, talks about his experiences. Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) reveals what it was like to be a season-ticket holder at the time. Matt Clark (@M...
International break recap: Lots of Spain chat and listener questions
September 09, 2019 04:00 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBIt's the September international break! Just three weeks into the new LaLiga season, there is a pause for the national teams. But fear not! This Monday's podcast features LaLiga-focused and Segunda-focused questions from listeners, plus a discussion of Spain's wins over Romania and the Faroe Islands. Host Euan McTear (@emctear) is joined by Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG), Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) and Alex Fitzpatrick (@Mallorcalex100) to talk Spain and to answer all the questions. Thanks a...
Monchi: From backup goalkeeper to the world's top sporting director
September 05, 2019 00:00 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBRamón Rodríguez Verdejo, better known as Monchi, is the most famous sporting director in the world. Sevilla benefited from his expertise for 17 years, between 2000 and 2017. Before that, he was a backup goalkeeper for the club. After that, he spent a couple of years running the sporting department at AS Roma. Now he is back at Sevilla. He's back home. In this podcast, hosted by Euan McTear (@emctear), we tell Monchi's life story, speaking to those who know it best. Román de Arquer (Aerosla...
Matchday 3 recap: Atlético go top, Barça and Real Madrid slip up
September 02, 2019 04:00 - 27 minutes - 25 MBThe first international break of the season is here and Atlético Madrid are the only team in LaLiga still with a 100 percent record. Barcelona and Real Madrid slipped up again, so we indulge in some title talk in this matchday three recap. We also look back at and study the Basque derby and have an in-depth discussion about Real Valladolid and how their season is shaping up. Euan McTear (@emctear) hosts and there are contributions from Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG), Román de Arquer (@Aeroslav...
Takefusa Kubo: The Story So Far
August 29, 2019 04:00 - 24 minutes - 22.6 MBTakefusa Kubo is one of world football's rising stars, and the 18-year-old Japanese prodigy has already passed through three Spanish clubs. After spending time at Barcelona's academy and after returning to Japan, he signed with Real Madrid this summer and has been loaned out to Real Mallorca. Euan McTear (@emctear) hosts this episode and speaks to Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) about Kubo's Barça days, to Kiyan Sobhani (@KiyanSo) about his pre-season with Real Madrid and to Alex Fitzpatrick ...
Matchday 2 recap: Griezmann's glory, Granada's graft and Guardiola's goal
August 26, 2019 04:00 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MBThe second week of the 2018/19 LaLiga Santander season is in the books and there are just two teams remaining with a 100 percent record - Sevilla and Atlético Madrid. We discuss that and much more, speaking to multiple experts. We hear from Heath Chesters (@HeathGCF) in Granada, Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) in Valencia, Joseph Sexton (@josephsbcn) in Vigo, Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) in Barcelona, Alex Fitzpatrick (@Mallorcalex100) in Mallorca and Kiyan Sobhani (@KiyanSo) in Canada, all hos...
The Aritz Aduriz Story
August 22, 2019 04:00 - 26 minutes - 24.3 MBAthletic Club striker Aritz Aduriz is a LaLiga legend. We all know this. But how did his story start? What bumps were there along the way? That and more is all discussed in this podcast looking at the Aritz Aduriz story. We speak to Phil Ball to explain how Aduriz, who grew up in San Sebastian, ended up playing for his hometown's biggest rivals. Alex Fitzpatrick talks about the Aduriz Real Mallorca years. Paco Polit reflects on what went well, and what didn't, for Aduriz at Valencia. Román ...
Matchday 1 recap: Barcelona stumble on the weekend of wonder goals!
August 19, 2019 04:00 - 26 minutes - 24 MBLaLiga is back and it came back with a bang! From Aritz Aduriz's stunning winner against Barcelona in the opening match of the weekend to Joao Felix's impressive debut in Atletico Madrid's latest victory over Getafe, we've got it all covered. We start by breaking down Barcelona's problems and wondering what Ernesto Valverde has to do now. We also take an in-depth look at the newly promoted sides Real Mallorca, Osasuna and Granada as they returned to the top flight with positive results, wit...
2019-20 SEASON PREVIEW - LaLiga European Fight & Relegation Battle
August 15, 2019 05:00 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBListen up! It's our second season-preview podcast, and this time we're focusing on all the other stories aside the Big Three in LaLiga. Host Euan McTear is once again joined by Paco Polit and Román de Arquer as they discuss the race for fourth place - can Valencia do it again, or will the recent turmoil at the club spoil their campaign before it's even begun? And what about the likes of Sevilla and Real Betis who have strengthened their squads, and can Villarreal improve on what was a terri...
2019-20 SEASON PREVIEW - LaLiga Title Race...Barça to do the three-peat?
August 12, 2019 05:00 - 26 minutes - 24.1 MBYes, La Liga Lowdown is back! The new Spanish football season is almost upon us, so it's the perfect time to get your ears around our preview podcasts, and this is the first... In this first preview, Euan McTear in Madrid chats with Paco Polit in Valencia and Román de Arquer in Barcelona as we look back at a summer of big spending by the Big Three, and look ahead to the new campaign. We ask some key questions: will Barcelona manage to integrate Antoine Griezmann successfully? can Eden Ha...
Valencia's shock Copa win as Barça's double dream dies - BUMPER FINAL EDITION!
May 27, 2019 09:08 - 48 minutes - 44.6 MBWe've gone double-length for this podcast, as it's the final one of the season and we wanted to give you, the fans, TOP value. Of course this pod focuses on the Copa del Rey final where Valencia shocked Barcelona to win 2-1 at the Estadio Benito Villamarín to lift their first trophy in 11 years, while also denying Barça a domestic double - the culés have to settle for one piece of silverware. We dissect and analyse the final in real depth, the players who performed, the players who didn't, ...
Valencia finish 4th, Athletic agony but Espanyol ecstasy, Girona down and Setién out - Matchday 38 recap!
May 20, 2019 06:02 - 24 minutes - 22.1 MBAnd so, LaLiga is done and dusted for another season...an up-and-down season finished with yet more twists and turns on the 38th and final matchday - with Valencia and Getafe in the race for Champions League qualification, and Athletic were the width of the crossbar away from the Europa League, but in the end, that accolade went to Espanyol as they snatched 7th place in the table. Relegation was almost decided before time - Girona needed a miracle, but they were put out of their misery at A...
Race for 4th takes a TWIST...while Levante, Villarreal and Valladolid are finally SAFE! Matchday 37 recap
May 13, 2019 10:18 - 24 minutes - 22 MBFootball is often all about how you get up, not how you fell down in the first place. Barcelona and Valencia both responded to European exits last week by winning on Sunday, as all 10 matches in LaLiga were played at exactly the same time. Maybe it'll catch on, who knows? It made for a dramatic penultimate round of games, and a twist in the race for the Champions League. Getafe went to Barça and had their chances but lost 2-0, even though the champions were poor by their own standards...whi...
So long Rayo, farewell Huesca...but Geta are still doing better in the race for 4th... Matchday 36 recap!
May 06, 2019 08:59 - 24 minutes - 21.9 MBFinally, we've had 2 teams confirmed as relegated from LaLiga...Rayo Vallecano and Huesca gave it a good crack, but were put out of their misery after suffering big defeats on Matchday 36 - Rayo going down 4-1 at Levante, Huesca were smashed 6-2 at home by Valencia. Both of these are teams who came up from Segunda last season, so they return straight away - in truth, neither of them really looked like escaping the drop. But Real Valladolid still might - their 1-0 win at home to Athletic Club...
BARCELONA ARE CHAMPIONS! Full analysis and reaction on Barça's title triumph, plus a Matchday 35 recap.
April 29, 2019 16:00 - 24 minutes - 22.1 MBWell, we knew it was coming, and in the end, Barcelona have done it with 3 games to spare. They are once again champions of Spain, retaining their title, making it 8 out of the last 11 that they've won and their 26th crown overall. Lionel Messi, who else, scored the only goal in their 1-0 win over Levante, meaning that Barça could celebrate their triumph in front of their own fans. Atlético Madrid also won 1-0 at home to Real Valladolid, so the gap is 9 points with 3 games to go, but because...
Barça edge closer, Benzema keeps scoring, Sevilla slip up, Villarreal & Celta win again... Matchday 33 recap!
April 22, 2019 09:23 - 23 minutes - 22 MBAnother weekend of significant results, but the most significant is that Barcelona can win LaLiga again in this next week after their 2-1 victory over Real Sociedad. 2 defenders scored for them, while it was Karim Benzema whose hat-trick gave Real Madrid their most convincing performance of late, beating Athletic Club 3-0. Standby for some stunning stats about the Frenchman... It was 4th v 5th but Sevilla lost 3-0 at Getafe, and both sides finished with 10 men as referee Mateu Lahoz made hi...
4-DERBY WEEKEND, including the madness of Sevilla-Betis! Matchday 32 recap.
April 16, 2019 08:37 - 23 minutes - 22 MBWith the title race pretty much done in LaLiga, we had to major on the 4 derbies this week, especially the ones in Seville and Valencia, and in particular the 5-goal thriller at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán where Sevilla beat Real Betis 3-2. These 2 go at it hammer and tongs right from the first whistle, and even before then, the Sevilla anthem sends shivers down your spine. Just check out our Twitter feed -- @LaLigaLowdown -- if you don't believe us... Along with that game, Valencia t...
Costa's potty mouth, Aspas amazes again, but Cazorla cries... LaLiga Matchday 31 recap!
April 08, 2019 10:56 - 24 minutes - 22.1 MBOi, Diego Costa - the LaLiga title race is officially over, thanks to you. After you got sent off, Atlético Madrid held out at the Camp Nou until 85 minutes...and then lost. Just imagine what they might have done if you hadn't lost your rag... So yes, Barcelona are now 11 points clear after that 2-0 win over Atleti in the biggest fixture of Matchday 31, and that should really be that. Real Madrid might still finish 2nd - they needed to give their heads a wobble at home to Eibar and eventua...
The Tears of Iago Aspas... LaLiga Matchday 29 recap!
April 01, 2019 10:07 - 24 minutes - 22.1 MBAt half-time of Celta Vigo's home game with Villarreal, it looked like the hosts were totally dead and buried...but for the irresistible force which is Iago Aspas, especially at Balaídos. 45 minutes later, Celta had fought back from 0-2 to win 3-2 and give their LaLiga survival hopes a real shot in the arm. The image of the night was Iago Aspas weeping on the bench, overcome by the emotion of it all - no doubt then about the hero of the weekend on Matchday 29 in LaLiga. In terms of the othe...
INTERNATIONAL SPECIAL - Wins are wins, but Spain flatter to deceive...
March 27, 2019 11:10 - 26 minutes - 24.4 MBThe Euro 2020 qualifiers are underway, and Spain are 2 from 2...so how are they shaping up after the excitement of the Nations League? In this special international podcast, Euan McTear hosts with Paco Polit and Román de Arquer as his guests, as we recap the 2-1 win over Norway and the 2-0 victory in Malta. If those scorelines sound underwhelming...it's because they were. So why did La Roja find it hard to smash their way through supposedly inferior opposition? We'll look at the situation wi...
Another Messi hat-trick, another step towards the title for Barça... Matchday 28 recap!
March 18, 2019 10:03 - 24 minutes - 22.1 MBYou might as well just give Barcelona the title now. With 10 games to go they're 10 points clear, after another Lionel Messi-inspired display at Real Betis. That 4-1 win, coupled with Atlético Madrid's 2-0 defeat at Athletic Club means that the title race is effectively over, barring a total implosion from the champions. Real Madrid have got Zinedine Zidane back in the dugout, so we chat about the impact he's had already, how it might affect Gareth Bale and Marcelo's futures at the Estadio ...
BONUS PODCAST! Valencia CF: their revival, their centenary...and more!
March 15, 2019 09:53 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBIt's a momentous time for Valencia - it's their 100th birthday this month, and the momentum is building in their season as well. Los Che are through to the Copa del Rey final, they've qualified for the quarter-finals of the Europa League and they're on an unbeaten run in LaLiga which is edging them up towards that 4th place which they covet to return to the Champions League next season. In this bonus podcast, La Liga Lowdown's Paco Polit discusses all the big talking points with Che Scandin...
They won 4-1, so how come Madrid were still...meh? Oh, and Villarreal won. (Finally.) - Matchday 27 recap.
March 11, 2019 11:10 - 23 minutes - 22 MBThe more things change, the more things stay the same...in some ways, it was a weird weekend. Madrid won, for one - that hadn't happened for 2 weeks. And Atleti played musical chairs with left-backs. And Barcelona went behind to the 2nd-bottom side...but guess what? Yes, they won. Again. LaLiga is theirs... The big results came just below that top 3. Getafe were trailing Huesca but Jaime Mata got them all 3 points to keep them 4th, and Sevilla, Valencia and Real Betis all got victories too....
The Giant Has Fallen... Real Madrid bonus podcast!
March 07, 2019 05:00 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBIn this bonus podcast, Euan McTear speaks to 2 colleagues in the Spanish capital about Real Madrid after Los Blancos suffered 7 days of their worst nightmares: being knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Barcelona, then losing in LaLiga to Barcelona and finally (and perhaps most shockingly) throwing away a 2-1 away first-leg advantage to crash out of the Champions League to Ajax. In part 1, Euan and Robbie Dunne pick apart the week of woe, why it's gone so badly wrong, they discuss how much he...
CLÁSICO RECAP: Piqué rules the Bernabéu, as Barça master Madrid.
March 05, 2019 12:00 - 24 minutes - 22 MBReal Madrid fans, we apologise. This won't be an easy listen. But it will be a comprehensive one, as we pick apart all the big talking points of El Clásico - the 4th clash between Madrid & Barcelona this season, and a 3rd win for Barça coming swiftly after their victory at the Bernabéu in the Copa del Rey. Gerard Piqué was majestic, but a few other players also stood out in an intense match. David Garrido speaks to Euan McTear in Madrid and Román de Arquer in Barcelona to dissect the big gam...
Messi smashes Sevilla, and the oh-so-curious case of Casemiro - Matchday 25 recap
February 26, 2019 12:00 - 23 minutes - 22 MBWhat would Barcelona do without Lionel Messi? Well, lose a lot more for a start. The little Argentine came back to haunt Sevilla once again with an utterly outstanding hat-trick, helping them come from 1-0 and 2-1 to win at the Sanchez Pizjuan in the last 5 minutes. We celebrate Leo and all his stats, but it's still a bit of a worrying picture for out-of-sorts Philippe Coutinho... Even more worrying is how referee Iglesias Villanueva gave a penalty as Casemiro got only feather-light contact...
BARCELONA BONUS PODCAST - Román speaks to journalist Marco Chiazza
February 21, 2019 02:00 - 25 minutes - 23.8 MBThere are so many talking points surrounding the LaLiga champions and Copa del Rey holders, and in this special bonus podcast edition, Román de Arquer speaks to respected journalist Marco Chiazza. If you're a Barcelona fan, or even if you're not, this is definitely for you. Roman & Marco discuss all of the following topics, in a tight but informing half-an-hour chat: - reaction to Barça's Champions League draw with Lyon - why the rotations aren't quite working at the moment - Coutinho, ...
Thanks, Real Madrid, for basically ending the title race early... Matchday 24 recap
February 19, 2019 12:00 - 24 minutes - 22 MBJust when you thought you could predict LaLiga, it does something else to confuse you, and this time it's called Real Madrid. Every bit of form pointed towards them not only beating Girona but MAULING THEM...and yet they lost 2-1 at home, and it was basically all their fault. And it's also their fault that Barcelona keep inching further ahead, without doing anything special. Lionel Messi's tale of 2 penalties was the main storyline from the Camp Nou as Barça just about did enough to beat Re...
V-A-arrrrgh! Madrid win an eventful derby v Atleti, while off-colour Barça are held...
February 12, 2019 12:00 - 24 minutes - 22.1 MBYou can still hear the fans arguing in the bars of Madrid. To say there were a few controversial or questionable decisions in Saturday's derby is putting it mildly, and the poor old buggers in the VAR booth were right at the centre of it all...but the fact is Real Madrid beat Atleti to go 2nd in the table - they were better, and it's now 5 straight LaLiga wins for them, just 6 points off Barcelona. The champions looked flat away to Athletic Club, and in fact could have lost this game if it ...
BONUS PODCAST - Madrid edition! Real & Atleti in sharp focus...
February 08, 2019 05:00 - 25 minutes - 23 MBIn our first special bonus edition of the La Liga Lowdown podcast, Euan McTear speaks to Madrid-based journalist and reporter Antía André about everything that's going on at the 2 big clubs in the Spanish capital. In a comprehensive chat, they discuss their current form, and also the huge derby at the Wanda Metropolitano this weekend, so find out who Euan and Antía are backing for the game itself...here's a clue: they don't agree! There's discussion of Alvaro Morata and whether he'll have ...
Messi bails out Barça, Atleti beaten by Betis, Madrid are back and the Basque battle!
February 05, 2019 12:00 - 24 minutes - 22 MB"Expect the unexpected" is the theme of LaLiga this season - Barcelona were held by Valencia (rescued by Leo Messi again), then Atlético Madrid could have made up ground on the leaders but they lost at Real Betis...Sevilla also went to out-of-form Celta Vigo, and they lost too. So that's 3 of the top 4 failing to win. Real Madrid have hit form though, 3-nil winners over Alavés. The chasing pack is starting to look a bit more familiar - Valencia & Real Sociedad are prowling just outside the ...
King Karim, Messi the Master, Rayo are rising, Yellow Sub sinking...
January 29, 2019 12:00 - 24 minutes - 22 MBAre Real Madrid back for good? Like REALly back? (Sorry.) Suddenly the boys in white (or actually a weird pinky red this week) are looking like European champions, with big names starring and scoring - especially Karim Benzema as they won at Espanyol. Question is: is he the best number 9 in the world?! Just up the road, Barcelona beat Girona but it wasn't actually all that easy - still, it's 8 straight league wins, so they stay 5 points clear of Atlético who were totally in control at home ...
The Greatest Goals Are Scored In LaLiga - FACT. Boateng to Barça?? ALSO FACT.
January 22, 2019 12:00 - 23 minutes - 22 MBSome things in LaLiga are odd. Like Barcelona signing Kevin-Prince Boateng. (They actually have, on loan.) But other things aren't. We witnessed some incredible goals this weekend in Spain's top flight - Casemiro for Real Madrid, Jorge Molina for Getafe, Charles for Eibar just to name a few. If you want spectacular strikes and top tekkers, then LaLiga is THE place to be. As for results, Barça made it 7 wins in a row with Dembélé starring to start off with, and Messi being Messi for the last...
MESSI HITS 400! Barca turn on the style, Sevilla lose ground, and it's tight at the bottom...
January 15, 2019 12:00 - 24 minutes - 22 MBThis weekend we saw yet another milestone in the extraordinary career of Lionel Messi. He's now reached 400 goals in LaLiga after scoring in Barcelona's 3-0 win over Eibar, as the champions take a five-point lead into the second half of the season. The performance of Philippe Coutinho has given Ernesto Valverde food for thought, so Román tells us what the future holds for him. With Atletico Madrid winning and Sevilla losing, maybe the title race is down to two horses - we're hearing from E...
REAL MADRID ARE OFFICIALLY AWFUL. Plus, Barca go 5 clear and the bottom 3 ALL WIN!
January 08, 2019 12:00 - 24 minutes - 22 MB3 words: More Madrid misery. Yes, they might be European champions, but Real Madrid definitely didn't look like it as they slumped to a 6th LaLiga defeat of the season at home to Real Sociedad. We absolutely tear into Los Blancos, and deservedly so because they were truly terrible. The result leaves them 10 points off leaders Barcelona who won away to hard men Getafe, but at least they've signed a 158th young player that they barely need in Brahim Diaz... Barça were also helped by Sevilla ...