La Liga Lowdown

187 down, 193 to go. We’re just a few games from the half-way point of the 2022-2023 LaLiga season, and what a primera vuelta it’s been.Join your hosts Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Thom Harris (@ThomHarris_) as they dissect the weekend’s results, starting at the Santiago Bernabéu, where not even Vinícius Júnior’s 20 dribbles were enough to break down a sensationally structured Real Sociedad side, who remain just three points off Los Blancos in third. Part One also sees our experts analyse big wins for Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, who continued the theme of 1-0 wins across the weekend. Pedri and Saúl the midfield match-winners in those.  Not all the games this weekend were low scorers though, as Sevilla thumped Elche by three goals to nil on Saturday, to extend the visitor’s winless streak to nineteen games. The guys also have high praise indeed for Cádiz and Almería, who continued their fine form in front of their own fans. Make sure to follow us @LaLigaLowdown on Twitter for all the l

The business end of the Copa del Rey is fast approaching, as this week's crunch-match quarter-finals have whittled the remaining candidates down to the final four. Join your hosts Thom Harris (@ThomHarris_) and Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) as they dissect two pairs of thrilling clashes between Spain's greatest teams, as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Athletic Club and Osasuna all took one more huge step to cup glory. In Part one, don't miss Paco's in-depth analysis of the situation in Valencia, speaking to us just moments after witnessing the incredible events that  unfolded outside Mestalla. We also have plenty of praise for the Basque visitors, who make their fourth Copa semi-final in succession. After the break, our experts get stuck into Osasuna vs Sevilla, paying particular attention to their sensational coach, before looking ahead to some of the weekend's big games.Make sure to follow us on Twitter, @LaLigaLowdown, for all the breaking news, reaction and analysis from our team of journalists, and subscribe

As we approach the halfway stage of the season, LaLiga Matchday 18 was a weekend low on goals but not short of drama.Join hosts Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Román De Arquer (@Aeroslavee) to reflect on the talking points and the implications of all the results.We start at the top, and it's as you were as both Barça and Real Madrid record victories, both having to endure some suffering. Winning championships isn't supposed to be easy, after all.The most impressive team is in third, however, so we laud Real Sociedad once again as they set a new club record for consecutive victories in impressive fashion at Vallecas.Atleti were also impressive, led by their pink prince Antoine Griezmann. They round off the top four and the first half of the show.Into Part Two, we analyse two late victories of significance in Seville and Vila-Real, both courtesy of late pressure penalties. There was emotion and relief in equal measure.Elsewhere there is more pain for Betis, a small glimmer of hope for Elche and a golazo from Seg

It's not often a football team plays on three different continents in a week, but that's exactly the challenge that Xavi's Barcelona will face over the next few days, as they return from Saudi Arabia with the Spanish Supercopa tucked under their arms.Join your hosts Thom Harris (@ThomHarris_) and Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) as they discuss the week's news, starting with their analysis of the title race ahead of a gruelling period for Real Madrid. Before part one is out, Paco reflects on Valencia's current situation, before some exciting transfer business for Girona is assessed.After the break, the guys look ahead to the weekend's action, with a relegation six-pointer between Sevilla and Cádiz at the top of the bill.Make sure to follow us @LaLigaLowdown on Twitter for all the latest news, analysis and insight, and subscribe to our substack below, absolute free of charge, for quality LaLiga content emailed to your inbox every single day! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was a dramatic weekend of football in Spain, and Saudi Arabia, this weekend, as Barcelona were crowned champions of the Spanish Super Cup with Xavi getting his hands on silverware for the first time as Barcelona coach. To break down the Clásico final, Sam Leveridge (@samleveridge) is joined by Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee).Then, we turn our attentions back to the Iberian Peninsula, where there was a thrilling Basque derby on Saturday night. Athletic Club fan Beñat Gutiérrez (@beinatguti) joins us to share his thoughts on the game, a controversial refereeing decision, and what it means for both teams.Sam and Román also run through all the rest of the action, including a game of golazos in Getafe, Girona's late win to send Sevilla into the drop zone, and more dropped points for Atletico Madrid and Villarreal. Stay tuned for more coverage at lllonline.substack.com and twitter.com/laligalowdown. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A packed midweek podcast this week as Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Thom Harris (@ThomHarris_) discuss the marathon pair of Supercopa semi-finals before looking ahead to a slightly-reduced schedule of LaLiga matches at the weekend.In the first half of the show, the hosts dissect and chew over the semis which saw both giants start well, fade and then rely on their superb goalkeepers to secure passage to the final on penalties. There is praise for the conquered Valencia and Betis and questions about the performances of the big two: is it tiredness or something more fundamental? Both were more Casio than Rolex. Before the break we discuss the dramatic debut of João Félix at Chelsea which went from red hot to red card. Diego Simeone was unavailable for comment.In Part Two we turn our attention to the LaLiga weekend, featuring the Basque Derby as its designated partidazo. Two sides looking to make strides up the table, this should be a fascinating encounter. There are some huge games at the bottom too, which cou

In this week’s podcast, the La Liga Lowdown squad review the Matchday 16 action. Host Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) starts with the Sunday night partidazo and talks to Sam Leveridge (@SamLeveridge) in Madrid about the atmosphere at the Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano and what the Barcelona win means for both Barça and Atlético Madrid.Then, Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) joins the action from Valencia to break down Villarreal’s win over Real Madrid, Real Sociedad’s surge on the top four, Joselu’s incredible goalscoring record and Valencia’s struggles after a home defeat to Cádiz.With the January transfer window open and the Spanish Supercopa coming up this week, stay tuned for more at lllonline.substack.com and twitter.com/LaLigaLowdown for all the latest insights and action. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Román De Arquer (@Aeroslavee) for a midweek dip into the deep pool of Spanish football. On the agenda today is Copa del Rey, LaLiga and the new Kings League. We review the shocks and surprises from the first day of Last 32 matches in the Copa, starting in north Africa, where Elche's nightmare season got even more horrible, if that was even possible. Their agony is ecstasy for AD Cueta, who themselves are bottom of their league. Elsewhere, three other LaLiga sides fell on Tuesday night, including last season's semi-finalists Rayo Vallecano. We discuss all the action and talking points.Román then gives us a fascinating insight into Gerard Piqué's new project: the Kings League. Find out what it is, how it works, and the multitude of big names already involved.In Part Two, we look ahead to the weekend in LaLiga, which features tough away games for the title challengers and plenty of other intriguing games besides.Keep up to date by following @LaLigaLowdown on Twitter and subscr

10 games, 21 goals, and a 16-card special from Mateu Lahoz. LaLiga is officially back. Spanish football returned with a bang this weekend, as Jornada 15 squeezed itself into the calendar before 2022 was out. Join your hosts Thom Harris (@ThomHarris_) and Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) as they pick apart the big results from the top and the bottom of a tasty looking table heading into the new year. In part one, the guys dissect a bizarre game at Camp Nou, a professional performance at the José Zorrilla, and the return of some of the World Cup's shining stars, before they move on to discuss a tantalising race for European qualification after the break, as Real Sociedad and Villarreal both picked up statement wins in the fight for a precious top-four spot.Make sure to follow us on Twitter @LaLigaLowdown, and to follow our blog at https://lllonline.substack.com for completely free, fresh content sent to your inbox every day! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

LaLiga is back and after six weeks off, we are being plunged back into the middle of a season. Join hosts Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) as they try to ease you in slowly to the first Jornada back.The league leaders/failed European side Barcelona begin with a tricky proposition early on, without their leading scorer. Yet Real Madrid's proposition has all the ingredients of a bumpy landing too. Outside of those two, Athletic Club take on Real Betis in a match that could see either side go third or slip to 9th. Also included are Diego Simeone's shopping trolley, an over-extended metaphor and will the real David Beckham please stand up?In the second half of the show, Celta Vigo-Sevilla sees two sides trying to keep their head above water. We discuss which manager will go into 2023 with the most pressure and find out how you could spend Nochevieja with Paco Polit.Follow us on @LaLigaLowdown on Twitter and make sure you catch all of our written content on lllonline.substack.com. Hoste

The celebrations have barely settled down in Buenos Aires, but ten of those players on that open-top bus will be back on Spanish shores soon enough, as LaLiga makes an almost immediate return after the 2022 World Cup.Following perhaps the most dramatic international tournament of all time, join Thom Harris (@ThomHarris_) and Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) as they discuss how Qatar 2022 might impact the second half of the Spanish season.In Part One, we discuss the best performers from LaLiga throughout the tournament, focusing in on Sevilla and Atlético Madrid and their Moroccan, French and Argentinian heroes, before touching on the titanic tussle between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the top of the pile.After the break, we look at some of the activity back home while the World Cup has been in full flow, analysing new managers for Celta Vigo and Elche, before talking about a very exciting transfer indeed for Rayo Vallecano...Make sure to follow us on Twitter @LaLigaLowdown, and to follow our blog at https://lllonli

La Liga Lowdown are back to discuss the World Cup final because... how could we not? Jarring though it may be, Spanish football is back just two days after the World Cup ends, so Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) and Román de Arquer (@aeroslavee) cast an eye over some relationship troubles in LaLiga.Some are calling it the greatest World Cup final ever and whether you agree or not, it everything the neutral could possible have hoped for. Lionel Messi added the missing jewel to his crown in an iconic moment. Lionel Scaloni got it right, but they were facing the Real Madrid of international football. Kylian Mbappé gets some love and we discuss how La Liga's representatives fared too.In part two, we pick out the most appealing ties from the Copa del Rey second round. Beyond that, three of La Liga's bigger names who all started the season with European aspirations return to work with tension in the camp. That includes one of the most bizarre stories of the season, as a Spanish international is mistaken for a local wa

As the dust settles on Spain's World Cup campaign, we take a look at the consequences of elimination to Morocco as Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Sam Leveridge (@samleveridge) analyse the fall-out.First up, a discussion about Luis Enrique, what went wrong, and what led to his dismissal as Spain coach. What's next for Lucho? There's enough to talk about to fill out a whole stream...After a short break, Matt and Sam are back to tell us about Luis de la Fuente. Who is this unknown entity? Beyond the white trainers and jeans, he's a man with as much in-depth knowledge of the Spanish system and youth set-up as you'll find out there.For more insight and reaction to the change, as well as the final stages of the World Cup, follow us on Twitter at @LaLigaLowdown and subscribe to our Substack at lllonline.substack.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's over. Spain are out of the World Cup. Their exit comes at the Round of 16 stage once again, falling on penalties, just like they did four years ago in Russia.This campaign promised so much more, from the togetherness of the group to the charismatic leadership of Luis Enrique. But it wasn't to be. The inquest has already begun in terms of his future and the direction of the national team, who still haven't won a knockout game at the World Cup since 2010.Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) is joined by a sorrowful Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) for the postmortem. We review the match against Morocco, assess where it went wrong for Spain, and evaluate the campaign as a whole. In Part Two we give credit to the Atlas Lions and their coach Walid Regraugi for their momentous achievement, becoming only the fourth African side ever to qualify for the World Cup quarter-finals. We then turn our attention to the ramifications of this unexpected Spanish failure, looking in particular at the futures of the senior players and Lucho

We're into the business end of the World Cup and there will be no more room for error as Spain face Morocco in a fiery derby of sorts on Tuesday. Join hosts Thom Harris (@ThomHarris_) and Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) as they preview the La Roja's Round of 16 tie.Part one is dedicated to Spain's faults and flaws. Where did things go wrong against Japan and what changes should Luis Enrique make to counteract those issues? Somehow, we're having the Alvaro Morata debate again with a new angle to it.Part two focuses on Morocco. The Atlas Lions surprised everyone by topping their group ahead of Belgium and Croatia. They did so conceding just one goal in their three games. Beyond their defence, we look at where they might cause Spain's downfall and what their key threats are.Follow us @LaLigaLowdown on Twitter and head to lllonline.substack.com for more written content and analysis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spain made it through por los pelos up against a Japanese side who stunned them with a 2-1 defeat in La Roja’s final group stage match of the World Cup. To analyse the action, Sam Leveridge (@samleveridge) is joined by Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) in his usual animated form.They discuss what went wrong for Luis Enrique’s team and what that means for the rest of the tournament as Spain look to bounce back ahead of their last 16 clash with Morocco on Tuesday. Don’t worry though, there’s also a dose of Paco rage about VAR and goal-line technology to add into the mix too.We’re also joined by Sam Robson (@FRsoccerSam) of J-Talk Podcast (@jtalkpod) with the point of view from Japan on their win and their impressions of Spain having topped Group E.For more analysis and insights from Spain’s World Cup camp, stay tuned to our Twitter @LaLigaLowdown and also to our Substack channel for more content as the competition continues. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's crunch time in Qatar as the final round of Group Stage matches dawns. Spain are in a strong position and are in full control of their own destiny, but Japan stand in their way. Join Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Román De Arquer (@Aeroslavee) as they look ahead to the match and discuss everything from Luis Enrique's Twitch streams to Gavi's potential future royal prospects.In Part One the focus in on Spain, pondering whether there will be any changes to the lineup, and how they will go about their task.In Part Two we discuss the Japanese and how they will approach a game which is effectively a must-win for them. Following that, the hosts chat about the World Cup in general, picking their favourites to win, the best players and the most disappointing sides so far.Check out our Substack over at lllonline.substack.com and follow us on Twitter @LaLigaLowdown. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back again to review Spain's second game of the 2022 World Cup. Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Román De Arquer (@Aeroslavee) reflect on a pulsating game between two former World champions that turned definitively into a tale of two substitute forwards.In Part One, we discuss the game from a Spain perspective, analysing what went well and what could have gone better, before Román gives his verdict on what it all means for Spain's chances of qualification.In the second half of the show, German football expert Jasmine Baba (@_jasminebaba) joins us to provide the German point of view. Expect tactical insight, praise for both Niclas Füllkrug and Jamal Musiala, and a considered prediction on Germany's long-term future in Qatar.Beyond the football, it was a poignant anniversary for Luis Enrique, and he surprisingly spoke about the tragedy he and his family suffered in 2019. We conclude with his own words on the most emotionally agonising thing imaginable.We are releasing fresh new content every day on our Subs

Join us for our preview podcast ahead of the biggest game yet at the 2022 World Cup as Spain take on Germany on Sunday night in Qatar. Host Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) is joined by Sam Leveridge (@samleveridge) in the first half to discuss how Spain could line-up and what we expect from the tactics board that Luis Enrique hasn't shown on his Twitch streams.In part two, we're joined by German football consultant Adam Khan (@XxAdamKhanxX) to analyse the point of view from Spain's rivals in what is a must-win encounter after their shock 2-1 defeat to Japan in the opening game of their participation. Make sure to follow us on Twitter @LaLigaLowdown, and to subscribe to our Substack at LLLonline.substack.com, for free, fresh content sent to your inbox every day! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the most sensational start to a World Cup in living memory, Thom Harris (@ThomHarris_) and Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) revel in the joyful aftermath of Spain's SEVEN-nil win over Costa Rica. In part one, hear what our experts have to say about the performances of Pedri, Dani Olmo, and Gavi, who became the third-youngest goalscorer in World Cup history, at just 18 years and 110 days.With the likes of Ansu Fati, Marcos Llorente and Pau Torres on the bench, we assess Luis Enrique's selection headaches ahead of a crucial encounter with Germany in part two. Make sure to follow us on Twitter @LaLigaLowdown, and to follow our substack at lll.online.substack.com, for completely free, fresh content sent to your inbox very day! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.