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La Liga Lowdown
A 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...
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39. Barcelona win the Clásico to seal the title: LaLiga Matchday 35 recap
36:30||Season 9, Ep. 39Join Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Román De Arquer (@Aeroslavee) to recap the title-deciding weekend in LaLiga. It’s official: Barcelona are champions. We knew it was coming for a good while now, but at last, Hansi Flick and his team can celebrate a second consecutive title. They won their 11th consecutive match to seal the title and for the first time ever, they confirmed the result by winning the Clásico. We salute the champions, discuss their record-equalling pace and begin to unpick where it all unravelled for Real Madrid. We also pay tribute to Hansi Flick, who was present at the game despite the passing of his father. Understandably emotional at full time, we evaluate his brilliant contribution to the club in the last two seasons.Elsewhere, there is still the race for Europe and the battle to avoid the drop. Celta closed the gap on Betis, but have they left their Champions League charge too late? Below them, no one else won this weekend, so it is still all to play for in the remaining weeks.At the bottom, Oviedo are all but done following their stalemate against Getafe. The result encapsulates their season: fighting and resisting against the odds, but ultimately coming up a little short. Above them, Levante, Sevilla and Valencia recorded big wins to help their respective causes.Levante came from 2-0 down to win on Friday night with forgotten man Etta Eyong scoring the winner in stoppage time. There was also a late winner for Sevilla, who condemned Espanyol to an 18th game without a win. Valencia went to Bilbao, missed a penalty, but still won thanks to Umar Sadiq, and they look almost home and hosed. Worryingly, Nico Williams went off injured, and his brother spoke ominously after the game. Beyond that, Elche and Alavés shared the spoils and Mallorca got a point against Villarreal with another goal from Vedat Muriqi. Rayo host out-of-form Girona on Monday night before Matchday 36 begins on Tuesday. Hold on to your hats!Subscribe to us and support our work at lllonline.substack.com for the only place to get all of our content.
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38. Vini keeps Barça waiting while Villarreal seal UCL spot in style: LaLiga Matchday 34 recap
35:14||Season 9, Ep. 38Join Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Harry Gillies as they review the latest round of fixtures from Spain’s top flight.Barcelona can’t celebrate yet. Their city rivals Espanyol fell to Real Madrid at home, meaning El Clásico next week could be when the league is sealed for the Culers. We discuss the challenges facing the next Real Madrid manager, as Los Blancos have now gone two seasons without lifting a major trophy. Meanwhile, Barcelona will need to find a replacement for Lewandowski if they want to make a proper run in the Champions League next season. There is a great contest for the European places, with Real Betis and Celta Vigo having picked up their league form after heartbreaking Europa League exits. Athletic Club are also in the mix, after a 4-2 win away to Alavés, won by a delightful finish by Nico Williams. The relegation battle is just as exciting, with Mallorca beating and leapfrogging a wasteful Girona, while Valencia slip further down after failing to beat an Atleti side made up mostly of academy players. And of course, what was seemingly impossible is now becoming likely - the relegation of Sevilla, who have it all to do tonight against Real Sociedad. We break it all down, so we hope you enjoy. As always, thanks for listening and subscribing! lllonline.substack.com
37. Just a matter of time for Barça, but time is running out for Sevilla: LaLiga Matchday 32 recap
36:09||Season 9, Ep. 37Review all the weekend action with Ben Sully (@SullyBen) and Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) as the title fight almost comes to a close, while the relegation battle is still wide open.With Barça's win over Getafe and Madrid's draw to Betis, the gap has increased to 11 points, meaning culers could celebrate LaLiga next weekend if Madrid don't defeat Espanyol. Otherwise, the title could be decided in 'El Clásico'...Title race aside, Sevilla experienced a heart-shattering defeat to Osasuna, conceding in the 99th minute of the match and consolidating their position in the relegation zone. A Levante win on Monday could see them drop down to 19th, dragging them even closer to Segunda. More relegation drama in Oviedo, after losing to an Elche who hadn't managed a single away win this season, until now. The numbers still say Oviedo have a shot at salvation, but it would require pulling off too many miracles. Alavés, on the other hand, got a massive win against Mallorca that sees them escape the bottom three and almost reach the light at the end of the tunnel.Find all these stories and much more in our recap pod! As always, thank you for listening to us and remember that you can subscribe to access our bonus podcast and multiple weekly articles over at lllonline.substack.com.
36. Real Sociedad are Copa champions: Copa del Rey Final recap podcast
36:42||Season 9, Ep. 36Today it's Copa del Rey with Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee)!What a final! A fantastic display of football from Real Sociedad and Atlético de Madrid at La Cartuja, with both sides giving everything they had to try and conquer Spain's domestic cup.After 120 minutes and a penalty shoout-out, it was the underdogs, led by Mikel Oyarzabal, who succeeded in achieving their third Copa del Rey. Matt and Román look into the epic twist behind Real Sociedad's rollercoaster season, led by Pellegrino Matarazzo's revolution, as well as pointing out key players like shootout specialist Unai Marrero and Zubieta-produced Pablo Marín and Jon Martín. We also ask where this leaves Atleti, and whether this disappointment will affect their Champions League prospects.They also preview the upcoming LaLiga midweek fixtures of Matchday 33 (yes, you read correctly. Matchday 33 will be played before Matchday 32), with plenty of crucial do-or-die clashes.We hope you enjoy the pod and thank you for listening! Remember you can also access our bonus podcast and multiple weekly articles over at lllonline.substack.com.
35. Old-school striker creates history on retro weekend: LaLiga Matchday 31 recap
38:20||Season 9, Ep. 35Join Ben Sully (@SullyBen) and Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) to review the retro-inspired LaLiga matchday 31.In part one, they cover the title race, which is turning out to be more of a runaway after Madrid dropped points against Girona while Barça managed to succeed in the Catalan derby with a 4-1 win. They then turn to the relegation battle, which is heating up, after most of the bottom sides achieved positive results. They first look at Elche’s home win against a receding Valencia and Sevilla’s victory against an Atlético de Madrid packed with subs, with the UCL & Copa del Rey in mind. They continue into part two with Muriqi’s record-breaking goals for a very convincing win against Rayo. They also review the crazy goal fest between Real Sociedad and Alavés, Real Oviedo's thrashing of Celta and all the other fixtures from the weekend.Once again, thank you for listening to our pod and remember that you can subscribe to access our bonus podcast and weekly articles over at lllonline.substack.com.
34. Muriqi pierces Madrid hearts as Lewy shoulders Barça 7 clear: LaLiga Matchday 30 recap
33:54||Season 9, Ep. 34La Liga is back! Join Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) and Harry Gillies as they review the latest round of fixtures from Spain’s top flight. Is the title race over? As Real Madrid lost in Mallorca, and Barcelona snatched a 2-1 win away at Atleti, the Catalan giants now have a seven point lead over Los Blancos. We discuss if the two Madrid clubs will now turn all of their attention to the Champions League, something Simeone seemed to suggest against Barça, leaving Julián Alvarez and Ademola Lookman on the bench. The league winner might be a certainty, but the race for the European places is gets more exciting with every week. We discuss the parallels between Real Betis and Celta, as both clubs are fighting for the same goals. Celta deployed some beautiful football away in Valencia, showing once again the fearless play style of Claudio Giráldez. Real Sociedad and Getafe have also greatly impressed and are well in the hunt to qualify for Europe. As for the bottom of the table, we discuss the stark reality for Sevilla fans that the seven-time Europa League winners get relegated, with Mallorca and Alavés putting in better performances in the fight against the drop. We also spare a thought for Real Oviedo, where it might be a case of too little too late for the Asturian side. And as always, thanks for listening and subscribing!
33. Mikel at the double for Spain in routine win: International break recap podcast
22:14||Season 9, Ep. 33The international break is on, so we gathered Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) to review Spain's latest 3-0 win against Serbia.A friendly game where Spain didn't really face too much opposition and Luis de la Fuente got the chance to try things and give newcomers, like Victor Muñoz, a chance to shine. He also sent a clear message by starting Unai Simón ahead of the other in-form goalkeepers... Matt & Román also pick their favourites to challenge Spain in their ambition of winning the World Cup and take some time to talk about Raphinha's injury which will keep him away for a while, missing both UCL matches vs Atleti, and potentially a UCL semifinal.We hope you enjoy the pod and thank you for listening! Remember you can also access our bonus podcast and multiple weekly articles over at lllonline.substack.com.