La Liga Lowdown

Join Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Thom Harris (@ThomHarris_) to review a pulsating weekend in LaLiga which had local derbies, intense relegation six-pointers and some surprises thrown in too. We begin at Mestalla where Valencia needed a result to keep the belief but faced a Sevilla side who salvaged a draw impressively at Old Trafford on Thursday. A game full of controversy and drama ended up going the way of the visitors as José Luis Mendilibar continues his unbeaten start. We ask how Valencia were undone yet again, how precarious their position is, and whether Sevilla are now safe. We then turn our attention to the Basque Country and the European race. Athletic dealt their rival's Champions League hopes a significant blow as they enhanced their own prospects. We discuss the form of Iñaki Williams in particular. Villarreal did a Villarreal and Betis were able to cash in with a convincing win over freefalling Espanyol. In Part Two we focus on the big three, as Barça were held to another

In this podcast, we recap on the latest from Spanish football with both action in midweek in Europe and an exciting matchday round coming up. Sam Leveridge (@samleveridge) and Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) break down the action. We start off with a recap from the capital on Real Madrid's convincing win over Frank Lampard's Chelsea before moving on to discuss another recent coaching appointment as José Luis Mendilibar secured a dramatic draw with Sevilla against Manchester United. In part two, we take a look at another huge game for Mendilibar's men, a tricky away trip for Barcelona and a big Basque derby. Stay tuned to lllonline.substack.com and @LaLigaLowdown on Twitter for all the latest coverage of everything going on in Spain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

La Liga took centre stage again after the Copa del Rey, and it did not disappoint. Averaging over three goals per game this weekend, it was the Matchday of the entertainers, as hosts Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) and Thom Harris (@ThomHarris_) discuss.There is no other place to begin though than perhaps the most entertaining tie of the weekend, as Villarreal and Samu Chukwueze put Real Madrid to the sword at the Santiago Bernabéu. We talk through his strides forward and the impact it's having on the top four race. It was Semana Santa in Spain, but in Seville the only thing rising this weekend was an unholy wave of frustration as both Real Betis and Sevilla saw red again, costing them points in the process.Sevilla do at least have some breathing room between themselves and the relegation zone, unlike Valencia and Espanyol. We start part two with a focus on the relegation zone, and a crucial victory for Almería over Los Che. Then we analyse our first impressions of the new managers at Espanyol and Real Valladol

The Copa del Rey semi-finals were all set up for stories in midweek, and they did not disappoint. Real Madrid humble Barcelona, Osasuna make their second ever Copa del Rey final, Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) is joined by Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) and Jorge López-Torrecilla (@Jorge_ltg_) to break down all the goings on.Part one kicks off with El Clásico, as we come fresh off a 4-0 win at Camp Nou for Real Madrid, a thrashing not seen since the 1960s. We start off with where the match was won and lost, Real Madrid's most underrated but rated player, and how Carlo Ancelotti vindicated his position. Then we have a go at both fanbases, all is fair in love and war. Finally, we work out how this result influences what remains of both of their seasons.The second half sees us work our way through an historic achievement for Osasuna - but also a bitter defeat for Athletic Club. Within that we look at the protagonists for Osasuna and the lack of them for Athletic Club. Our extra time is devoted to Espanyol and Real

La Liga was back after the international break - one perhaps best forgotten in Spain - but there were plenty of memorable matches across Jornada 27 for a number of reasons. Join hosts Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) and Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) as they navigate their way through the narratives.Part one begins with Real Madrid and Barcelona, who combined for ten unanswered goals against Real Valladolid and Elche respectively. Ahead of their Copa del Rey crunch match both had confidence building victories, but Román is grilled on a number of questions hanging over Carlo Ancelotti and Xavi Hernández. We also touch on the Ansu Fati drama, as well as a first win for José Luis Mendilibar as Sevilla manager.The second half of the show kicks off with an enthused Sam Leveridge (@samleveridge), fresh off the back of Atlético Madrid's sixth victory in their last seven matches. What might have been? Then we dig into Athletic Club and Osasuna, with the onus on Los Leones to turn around their 1-0 deficit. Finally we may

To preview Luis de la Fuente’s first international break as Spain coach, Sam Leveridge (@samleveridge) is joined by Paco Polit (@PacoPolitENG) to break down all to expect from this new-look Spain squad. By delving into the squad choice, captain selection and possible line-up to take on Norway for De la Fuente’s first match in charge in Málaga on Saturday evening, we look at how the new coach can put his stamp on the squad. We also look at Spain’s opponents, with Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) joining us to share his insights on his home nation, Scotland, while we discuss some familiar faces to LaLiga fans that feature in the Norway squad. Finally, we wrap up by looking at the managerial merrygoround in LaLiga with an old friend returning as José Luis Mendilibar took charge of Sevilla and a complete novice starting out with Sebastián Beccacece appointed Elche coach.Stay tuned for more across our Substack in the coming days and on Twitter at @LaLigaLowdown.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri

Hay poca liga. Barcelona win El Clásico and move themselves 12 points clear, as the relegation battle gets increasingly hot and sticky. Join hosts Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) and Thom Harris (@ThomHarris_) as they break down a crucial Jornada ahead of the international break.Part 1 begins and stays with the big one for the most part as we break down the anatomy of the match itself, the consequences for the two teams going forward, and the Copa del Rey semi-final coming up between the two. We round off the first section with the other two teams charging onwards currently; Atlético de Madrid and Celta de Vigo.Part 2 sees us plunge into the hot mess that is the relegation battle. With a single win Getafe can breathe and sleep a lot easier outside the relegation zone. They were the only side to win in the bottom nine, and it the pressure is starting mount on the men in charge. In more temperate climes, the European race is threatening to get a little messy too. Finally, we end on one of the most bizarre penalti

La Liga Lowdown is back with another podcast with plenty on the agenda.Hosts Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) begin by reflecting on a disappointing night in Europe for the Spanish sides.After three defeats and not a single goal scored across Thursday's Europa and Conference League matches, only Sevilla progressed, suffering and holding on in Istanbul.It opens up questions about the state of LaLiga and we ask to what extent these negative results serve as a diagnosis on the health of Spanish football?At least Real Madrid made it through in the Champions League, with an air of serenity not seen in their momentous campaign last season. Their comfortable and controlled performance against Liverpool is also touched upon.Surely the Clásico on Sunday will be more taxing for them, as they seek to cut the gap to Barça at the top.In the second half of the show we preview that game in full, including the importance of Pedri's potential return, what Real Madrid should do with Eduardo Camavinga a

On Oscars weekend there was no shortage of drama in LaLiga. From blockbuster encounters to thrilling epics, heroes and villains, Matchday 25 wouldn't look out of place on the red carpet. Hosts Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Román De Arquer (@Aeroslavee) pore over the action and leave their reviews. As it went, Barça maintained their nine-point advantage at the summit ahead of El Clásico next weekend, but they had to dig in deep in Bilbao. Another 1-0 win to add to the catalogue, this new-look resilience reminds Román of a different club and manager of recent LaLiga times. Elsewhere there were humongous victories for two of the giants struggling at the bottom as Sevilla and Valencia both put themselves above the water line for another week at least. In the race for Europe, it was a lap of consolation for the pretenders, as Real Sociedad, Villarreal and Betis all drew, keeping the contest intriguing. The big weekend winners were Celta, and we salute them, Iago Aspas and Carlos Carvalhal, who

It was a topsy, but mostly turvy week for Spanish sides in Europe, but no less interesting to unpack. Hosts Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) and Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) do so in your midweek podcast, before turning their attention to some of the other major storylines.In part one, Matt Clark (MattClark_08) calls in from the snowy, blustery and generally torrid weather outside Old Trafford - he wasn't much more of a fan of Real Betis' second half in their defeat to Manchester United. Manuel Pellegrini has an uphill task in the second leg of their Europa League tie, as is true for Real Sociedad. Villarreal got a better result in the Europa Conference League, but here's the fun part - they are all battling it out for the top four at the same time. We break down the key weaknesses that might hamper both European and domestic aspirations.In the second half of the show, we turn to Sevilla. Imagine a world where Sevilla win the Europa League but get relegated? One seems more likely than the other, but will Jorge

In our match day 24 recap podcast, host Sam Leveridge (@samleveridge) is joined by Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) to delve into a crazy weekend of LaLiga action where we may have seen the death of a title race. First we head to the red and white part of Madrid, where a special celebration for Diego Simeone was marked in style as he took charge of his 613th game with the club in a seven-goal thriller. We then move on to Camp Nou, where Barcelona won with very little style, and the Benito Villamarín, where Real Madrid had just as little style but lacked Barça’s cutting edge, as Hasan Karim (@TheHasanKarim) tells us.In part two, we look at the relegation battle, where Getafe secured a crucial and nail-biting win over Girona, while Elche clung onto a faint tinge of hope until the very end against Mallorca in two of the weekend’s most eye-catching results. Stay tuned across lllonline.substack.com and @LaLigaLowdown on Twitter for all the latest in another action-packed week of Spanish football. Hosted on Aca

La Liga Lowdown get down to the nitty gritty of El Clásico on its 5th birthday! Join hosts Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) and Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) as they break down the big Copa del Rey semi-final.It's likely to be a game defined by injuries with both sides missing players, although the Barcelona limp is a little more obvious at this point. We discuss how both sides might line up, where the weaknesses lie, and how it could leave the La Liga race after the first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu.The second half of the show sees us travel around Spain to discuss some of the most interesting statistics and stories from around Spain. Once again Román demands more time for Quique Setién at Villarreal, we break down one of the most exciting and talented youngsters cutting his teeth at Celta Vigo, and make the case for the two best value signings of the season.Follow us @LaLigaLowdown on Twitter, and tune into our Substack too - lllonline@substack.com - where we have daily content and will work our way through t

Comebacks, shocks, goalfests, upsets and twists. That was Matchday 23 in LaLiga, as the form table almost turned upside down and we witnessed another twist in the title race. Hosts Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Thom Harris (@ThomHarris_) are here to break it all down, in a weekend bookended by 3-2 thrillers involving Seville sides.We begin with probably the surprise of the season so far. Following their defensive horror show last weekend, Almería went into their game against the league leaders with little more than blind faith. However, they caught a Barcelona still in hangover mode from their latest European exit, and the Andaluz side took full advantage, scoring early and defending well. As a result, Xavi's side missed a golden opportunity to open up a double-digit gap on Real Madrid.The defending champions could not win either, even against the ten men of Atlético Madrid in El Derbi de Madrid. Teenger Álvaro Rodríguez saved a point for Los Blancos with his first senior goal but most observers felt it was

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We’ve been averaging three goals a game on this 22nd weekend of an enthralling LaLiga season, and with one more to go crunch-match to go, there could be plenty more drama still to unfold.Join your hosts Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) and Thom Harris (@ThomHarris_) as they discuss the best of the action, including an eight-goal thriller at Montilivi, a last-minute screamer in Elche, and a wonder-assist at Camp Nou. Our experts also dive into a tense top-four, as Villarreal slump to a fourth defeat in a row for the first time in 24 years, before looking ahead to some tasty mid-week European ties, as Real Madrid travel to Anfield, and Barcelona gear up for round two with the Red Devils.   Wild celebrations, uncontrollable tears, and fists literally being swung, you don’t want to miss this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It has been another momentous week at Mestalla and appropriately we have Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) on the pod to tell Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) all about it. Fresh from attending Rubén Baraja's presentation on location, we start there as Valencia's third coach of the season begins an unenviable task. A cheap option on a short-term contract, is this simply a move by Meriton to pacify an angry fanbase?Paco assesses the move to bring a club legend into the fray, as well as analysing Baraja's first statements as coach. His first match will be a relegation six-pointer away at Getafe, the importance of which cannot be overstated. In Part Two we discuss the other big news from Wednesday; the bombshell involving Barcelona and alleged payments to a company linked to a former senior referee in the CTA. We discuss the reports and where it might leave the Catalans. Then we turn our attention to this weekend's fixtures in LaLiga, featuring some attractive match-ups and a European showdown in Madrid.&

La Liga continues to tighten up all over the table - everywhere except at the very top, where the gap between Barcelona and Real Madrid continues to expand, if perhaps only temporarily. Join hosts Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) and Román de Arquer (@aeroslavee) as they work their way through a weekend that may have serious employment consequences.We start at the top as Barcelona suffer against Villarreal but ultimately get the job done. Another rearguard action, another Pedri goal. Ronald Araújo was the star of the show but how concerned should Barcelona be about the form of Robert Lewandowski, with Manchester United on the horizon? Elsewhere Atlético Madrid mugged Celta Vigo at Balaídos, and Quique Sánchez Flores teeters on the brink.In part two, there's only one place to start - Mestalla. Valencia are deep in crisis mode, and right now it feels like quicksand. Román has his doubts about even Pep Guardiola's ability to turn things around. Sevilla are only four points above them, but are feeling terrific that

On the midweek pod are Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Román De Arquer (@Aeroslavee) to discuss all the talking points from Spanish football.In the first half of the show, we break down Real Madrid's win over Al Ahly which sealed progression to the final of the Club World Cup. It was a scoreline which ended up flattering Carlo Ancelotti's side, but that's not to say it was a performance without positives.Andoni Iraola and Rayo Vallecano are also high up on the agenda after the Vallecas side moved up to fifth in LaLiga. Iraola attracted the advances of Leeds United but has reportedly turned down a move to the Premier League in order to continue his fine work with Rayo. Rejoice.In Part Two we look ahead to the nine matches in LaLiga this weekend, which sees coaches have reunions with their old clubs and giants in need of home wins to boost morale as much as their respective points tallies.Remember to follow us @LaLigaLowdown and subscribe to our Substack (lllonline.substack.com), where you can read articles on e

LaLiga provided us with a weekend full of surprises as five of the top six dropped points, with everyone but Barcelona allowing the Catalans to extend their lead at the top to eight points courtesy of a thrashing of Sevilla.To discuss the action, Sam Leveridge (@samleveridge) is joined by Paco Polit (@PacoPolitENG) who brings his insight from Valencia with updates on fan protests and the club's search for a new manager as they fight off relegation. Elsewhere, Elche stunned Villarreal to record their first win of the season, but was it too little too late for Pablo Machín's team? Stay tuned to @LaLigaLowdown on Twitter and LLLonline.substack.com for all the latest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following a furious rather than frantic end to the transfer window, hosts Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) and Román de Arquer (@aeroslavee) pick through combative few days in Spanish football.Part one opens with the people that can be feeling pleased with themselves after rushing to hand in their assignments, before coming onto remarkable second transfer window in a row where one president has been in physical danger after his decision-making. Gavi wore number six on Wednesday night, he is registered as a first-team player, but it isn't over until Javier Tebas sings.In part two, we pick through more of the debris of Gennaro Gattuso's Valencia departure, where he surrendered before he was cast off, and the return for what we feel we can now call an icon of Spanish football in Voro. Plus signs of encouragement for Real Madrid, Rayo Vallecano (on the pitch) and Quique Setién.Enjoy our written content at lllonline.substack.com and keep up-to-date @laligalowdown on Twitter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for