La Liga Lowdown

It was billed as the headline act and it certainly delivered. A monumental match at Montjuïc is our top story on this weekend's recap, featuring Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG).Did Atleti execute the perfect gameplan? Or were Barça unfortunate not to win given the chances they created? Either way, Diego Simeone is on top of the tree this Christmas, with LaLiga fans excited at the prospect of a three-horse race!Real Madrid also piled on the pressure, as they swept Sevilla aside in Jesús Navas' final game as a player. The emotional scenes overshadowed what ended up being a routine win for Carlo Ancelotti, but they looked somewhat closer to their best version.Athletic continued their fine form with a comeback win in Pamplona, leaving some to whisper that they might even be in the title conversation.Villarreal were involved in a 7-goal-thriller at Butarque, while Mallorca are quietly keeping pace with Marcelino's men.Diego Martínez continues to amaze with his saviour operation at Las Palmas, and there was an 80s pop theme in Vigo.At the bottom, Valencia just can't buy a win. Neither can Espanyol. They will be hoping the turn of the year brings a reversal in their fortunes.We want to wish all of our subscribers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. ¡Feliz Navidad y Próspero Ano Nuevo!

Drama in the title race! Just one point separates the top three following a dramatic weekend in LaLiga. Join Ben Sully (@SullyBen) and Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) as they discuss all the action from matchday 17.Real Madrid had to settle for a point after they trailed by two and then led by one in Saturday’s thrilling clash against Rayo Vallecano. As it proved, Los Blancos gained a point on leaders Barcelona, who suffered a shock defeat in their home game against relegation-threatened Leganés.Meanwhile, Atleti were made to work for three points by a dogged Getafe side, collecting a narrow win to move above Real Madrid and level on points with Barcelona. There was also plenty of drama in Sunday’s clash at the Estadio de la Cerámica as 10-man Betis squeezed past Villarreal.Elsewhere, Jesús Navas said an emotional farewell to the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, while Valencia’s woes continued against Valladolid. There was also a precious point for Coudet’s Alavés, a hard-fought win for 10-man Mallorca and a couple of goalless draws.Remember, you can subscribe to our Substack (lllonline.substack.com) to access all of our content, including our bonus podcast which will be out later this week.

Join (@SullyBen) and Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) as they recap an exciting weekend of LaLiga action, including big results in the race for the league title.Assane Diao’s deft touch denied Barcelona maximum points in Saturday’s gripping contest, allowing Real Madrid to close the gap to two points with a Jude Bellingham-inspired victory over Girona.This isn’t a two-horse race, though, as Atlético Madrid showcased their title credentials in Sunday’s comeback win against Sevilla. Away from the title race, Athletic Club made full use of the San Mamés factor to clinch a crucial win in the battle for Champions League qualification.In part two, we discuss Kike García’s goalscoring return to El Sadar. We also reflect on Valencia’s disappointing result against Rayo, Sandro’s match-winning display against Valladolid and another win for rejuvenated Real Sociedad. Meanwhile, the evergreen Iago Aspas got on the scoresheet as Celta moved into the top half with a victory over Mallorca.Thanks for listening, and remember you can access all our content, including a weekly bonus podcast by subscribing at lllonline.substack.com.

Matchday 15 provided more dramatic twists and turns in the title race, as well as plenty of action throughout the league table. It all began on Friday night, when Mallorca extended their fantastic start to the season by coming from behind to beat Valencia.A potentially pivotal Saturday in the race? Barcelona were celebrating their 125th birthday, but there was nothing left to enjoy on the pitch, as they lost 2-1 at home to Las Palmas. That's three without a win for Hansi Flick's men, with just one point from a possible nine, allowing the chasing Madrid pack back in the fight. Atleti took full advantage with a crushing 5-0 win in Valladolid, a result which saw them strike 11 goals on the road in the space of four days, and one which spelt the end of the road for Paulo Pezzolano, who was finally relieved of his duties at the Pucela helm. Real Madrid also put Anfield behind them with a comfortable enough 2-0 win over Getafe, with Jude Bellingham promoted to penalty taker. It was also a great weekend for Espanyol, and Athletic, the latter capping a superb week with a come-from-behind win at Rayo. Wth Villarreal involved in yet another 2-2 draw with late action, Los Leones took advantage to move up to 4th.Catch up on everything Spanish football by subscribing to our Substack at lllonline.substack.com.

Matchday 14 was full of emotion and goals, topped on both counts at Mestalla.Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) unpick all the action from Matchday 14.Paco was at Mestalla for Valencia's first game since the devastating floods, and there was poignancy in large supply. The game was superb, too, with Los Che earning a much-needed win in a six-goal thriller.The headline partidazo of the weekend ended in favour of Athletic Club, as the Basque Derby points stayed with the hosts yet again.Barça stumbled in a chaotic last ten minutes at Balaídos, dropping two important points in the title race. Real Madrid took full advantage on Sunday to cut the gap to just four points – and Los Blancos have that game in hand.In Part Two, we salute Diego Simeone on reaching 700 games at the helm of Atleti, who celebrated in pure style with a healthy dollop of suffering.Elsewhere, there was a bizarre end to a five-goal show in Gran Canaria, five goals at Montilivi to leave Manolo González on the precipice, and four shared at El Sadar.Last but by no means least, there were also crucial home wins for Getafe and Sevilla. Paco might just be a fan of Allan Nyom's performance on Friday night.Subscribe to our Substack for plenty more Spanish football content as we head into another European midweek!Check us out at lllonline.substack.com.

Ben Sully (@SullyBen) and Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) recap Spain's triumphal international break with two more wins to seal the top spot in their Nations League group.As well as analysing the matches and those players that have stood out, they also look into some of Spain's future talents such as Marc Casadó and Samu A., who finally made their official debuts and have promising international careers ahead of them.Remember to subscribe to our Substack (lllonline.substack.com) to enjoy our daily output and to keep updated on all things related to LaLiga and the Spanish national team.

Matchday 13 proved to be an unlucky one for Hansi Flick as his Barça side lost for just the second time in LaLiga this season. Join Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Román De Arquer (@Aeroslavee) as they reflect on Real Sociedad's surprise but well-deserved victory, preventing the Catalans from having a single shot on target.Elsewhere, Vini scored three goals, Real Madrid won three points, but also lost three players to injury, on a freak Saturday that saw players suffer ACL injuries in all three matches.Villarreal are looking good for a top four challenge, as their rivals Betis and Athletic both stumbled but rallied to get late draws.Atleti got another suffering single-goal victory in Mallorca, while Leganés put more pressure on Sevilla. Diego Martínez is enjoying life in the Canaries, successfully turning around Las Palmas with three wins in four.There is concern for Getafe, Alavés and Real Valladolid ahead of the final international break of 2024.Join us for more content at lllonline.substack.com.

Join Ben Sully (@SullyBen) and Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) to review a matchday that should have never happened.First and foremost, our thoughts are with everyone affected by the recent flash floods that have devastated the Valencian community. At the time of recording, the confirmed death toll sadly stands at over 200 while many more are missing. People have also seen homes, properties and land destroyed by the horrific natural disaster.If you want to help those affected, you can donate to the Red Cross via: https://cercadeti.cruzroja.es/ayudaafectadosinundacionesdanaPaco begins the podcast by describing the extent of the devastation. We also discuss the response of the authorities and the recent visit of the King, Queen and Prime Minister to the region. Our focus then turns to LaLiga and the decision to push ahead with the majority of the scheduled fixtures on matchday 12. In part two, we review the action that took place over the weekend. Barcelona claimed derby bragging rights to extend their lead at the top of the table. The Simeone family enjoyed a successful outing against Las Palmas, while Girona and Leganés put on a seven-goal thriller at Montilivi. Betis fought hard for a point at San Mamés, as Real Sociedad took maximum points from their trip to the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. Meanwhile, Osasuna and Alavés both collected narrow wins in their respective fixtures.Remember, you can access all of our content by subscribing at https://lllonline.substack.com/.

Join Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) to review 'El Clásico' and all the games that took place during Matchday 11.This weekend, LaLiga delivered some serious twists, with unexpected upsets, including a shocking 0-4 result at the Bernabéu. For any doubters, now we can confirm that Barça and their youngsters are the real deal, with a promising season ahead. In contrast, Carlo Ancelotti has a lot of work ahead of him to get Real Madrid to react and find a better way to integrate Kylian Mbappé.Down in the relegation zone, Las Palmas managed their second win in a row since Diego Martínez landed in the island, while Valencia held on to keep a point at Getafe and Real Valladolid suffered a late defeat at the hands of Ayoze Pérez and Villarreal. Leganés were the biggest winners of the weekend, handing a surprise 3-0 defeat to Celta and clambering out of the drop zone. All of this and other hard fought battles in our recap pod!Remember you can subscribe to our Substack for plenty more daily LaLiga content: https://lllonline.substack.com/