We made it to 200 episodes! Thanks to our patrons for their support, it is very much appreciated. Today Sam, Rik and Toni chat about the narrow 1-0 win over Celta Vigo, and how the team is looking ahead of the clash with Inter Milan.
--Sprogs
--Celta reaction
--Ter Stegen
--Lewandowski isolated
--Champion team
--Chances, or lack of
--Pique
--Raphinha incident
--Three left-backs
--Ratings
--200th episode competition
--Assembly
--Big earners jab
--No...
2022-10-10 15:22:45 +0000 UTC
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Sam is joined by Toni, who is back from Milan, to get his review of his time in the Italian city earlier this week, his view on Barcelona's performance at the San Siro and his thoughts on Xavi Hernandez's side's chances in the Champions League on Wednesday.
They also discuss Lionel Messi, with the rumour mill working overtime linking him with a sensational return to Barcelona next summer. What do we actually know? What could be behind the speculation? Where does Messi fit in this ...
2022-10-07 09:49:47 +0000 UTC
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Sam and Rik pick through Barcelona's tumble at the San Siro, from the Pedri disallowed goal to the Dumfries handball, Alonso and Dembele's delivery, Christensen's injury and an Antoine Griezmann deal? Toni, flying back from Milan, couldn't make this one alas.
2022-10-05 11:31:00 +0000 UTC
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Barcelona moved top of LaLiga at the weekend thanks to a 1-0 win over Mallorca, while Real Madrid could only manage a 1-1 draw at home to Osasuna. Now Xavi's side turn their attention to the Champions League, with a huge game against Inter Milan at the San Siro on Tuesday.
Sam, Rik and Toni (from his Milan hotel) discuss the Mallorca game and look ahead to the game in Italy this week.
Including but not limited to:
-- Toni's flight probl...
2022-10-03 10:51:04 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone, hope you enjoy today's Q&A pod. The chat about Spain/Portugal/Luis Enrique got us thinking, during the World Cup would you be happy if we spent some time on pods talking about the Spanish national team, beyond the Barcelona players involved?
Anything Barça-related we'd look at anyway of course, but just seeing how much appetite there is for more on Spain during the tournament.
2022-09-29 11:50:07 +0000 UTC
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Sam, Rik and Toni get stuck into your questions on the following topics:
—White kit
—Nico and Abde
—Pablo Torre
—Pique, Alba situations
—Spain squad
—Defensive set-up after injury
—Mosaics
—Endrick
—Spain opinions from within Spain
—Messi
2022-09-29 10:07:33 +0000 UTC
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Hello! Real football is back soon. We're recording a Q&A on Thursday so feel free to fire in your questions, either here or in the discord channel.
2022-09-28 10:03:20 +0000 UTC
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Barcelona have been hit by a spate of injuries, the most damaging to Ronald Araujo. Sam and Rik discuss the situation, options for Xavi and more. Plus, how Barça Femeni kicked off their season, a quick chat with Keira Walsh and what is going on with the RFEF and the women's Spanish national team?
2022-09-27 13:26:15 +0000 UTC
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No game? No problem. Barcelona always deliver when it comes to content.
Sam speaks to Rik in Paris, where he took in Jules Kounde and Ousmane Dembele's France against Austria... although the FIFA virus struck as Kounde was left with an injury which could rule him out for up to a month. Memphis Depay also picked up a knock with the Netherlands.
Toni also joins from Menorca to discuss bad luck with injuries and the Barça Leaks which have appeared in El Mundo this week, ...
2022-09-23 15:23:06 +0000 UTC
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Barcelona made it five wins in a row in LaLiga against Elche at the weekend to go into the international break second, just two points back from Real Madrid. There were two more goals for Robert Lewandowski, who now has 11 for the season, and one for Memphis Depay.
Sam, Rik and Toni delve into a game which became even more one-sided than it looked like being after an early red card for Elche defender Gonzalo Verdu. They also discuss a missed opportunity for Franck Kessie, Lewandow...
2022-09-19 09:49:55 +0000 UTC
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A familiar story at the Allianz Arena... or was it? Barcelona were beaten 2-0 at Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday, suffering a fifth straight defeat against the Germans, but this wasn't entirely the same as the previous three games, with Xavi's side made to pay for missed chances at one end and switching off at the other in a five minute spell at the start of the second half.
Toni joins Sam to discuss the game in Munich, with Rik chipping in remotely to offer his views o...
2022-09-14 10:20:08 +0000 UTC
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Sam, Rik and Toni answered all of your questions, on why Jules Kounde doesn't want to play at right-back, whether Atletico should be taking more flak for their Griezmann strategy, to Xavi's version of BarçaBall, the most and least improved players and a lot, lot more.
2022-09-13 07:53:22 +0000 UTC
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Barcelona eventually saw off Cadiz comfortably with a 4-0 win on Saturday, but the real test comes with a trip to face Bayern in Munich on Tuesday night. Sam, Rik and Toni analyse the action and look at how the clash at the Allianz Arena is shaping up...
2022-09-12 12:16:23 +0000 UTC
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We know we're overdue a Q&A but now we're all back in BCN it's happening. On Monday we'll record and publish the regular pod, and then record a Q&A to go out on Tuesday. So fire away with questions, and we'll mop up any we missed from before too like a nice piece of bread mopping up pasta sauce.
2022-09-11 15:53:54 +0000 UTC
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Eight goals in five Barcelona appearances. 89 Champions League goals. We are all living in Robert Lewandowski's world. He scored a hat-trick as Barcelona kicked off their Champions League campaign with a 5-1 win over Viktoria Plzen at Camp Nou on Wednesday. There were also goals for Ferran Torres and Franck Kessie -- and minutes for Gerard Pique, Memphis Depay and Pablo Torre!
Sam, Rik and Toni look back over the win, try not to get too carried away and also reflect on a couple of...
2022-09-08 09:39:19 +0000 UTC
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Goals from Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Eric Garcia helped Barcelona beat Sevilla 3-0 at the Sanchez Pizjuan on Saturday. Xavi Hernandez's side now have 10 points from 12 in LaLiga this season.
Sam, Rik and Toni look back on a game that saw Sevilla start well before Barça took control after taking the lead. There was an impressive performance from the terrier-like Gavi and more heroics from the back-in-form Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
They also look ahead to the return of the Ch...
2022-09-05 09:22:01 +0000 UTC
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The transfer window is closed!
Marcos Alonso and Hector Bellerin joined Barcelona, while Sergiño Dest, Abde, Martin Braithwaite and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang all left on a frantic deadline day but one which didn't have a final twist.
Sam, Rik and Toni reflect on the closing of the market, Barcelona's summer business and look back at their pre-summer transfer predictions.
Running order:
-- Bellerin a starter?
-- Alonso v...
2022-09-02 09:51:36 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone, we'll do a Q&A to set up deadline day on Thursday, so fire away with the Qs here or in Discord. Vamos!
Note: Circumstances changing quickly regarding ins and outs and what is possible...
2022-08-30 10:55:32 +0000 UTC
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Come for Barcelona's 4-0 win over Real Valladolid, stay for Toni singing The Flintstones.
Sam and Toni look back on a game that saw Robert Lewandowski hit two more goals, with Pedri and Sergi Roberto also on target as Barça made it seven points from nine this season.
They also look ahead to what could be another busy week at Camp Nou with the transfer window due to close on Thursday and business still to be done.
Running order:
<...
2022-08-29 14:46:24 +0000 UTC
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The Champions League draw is in and it's Bayern Munich (again), Inter Milan (again) and Viktoria Plzen for Barcelona. Sam and Toni look ahead to the group stage of Europe's most prestigious competition as Robert Lewandowski prepares to return to Germany, Romelu Lukaku gets ready to take on Barça and Plzen plan to surprise the entire world.
With Rik still in Australia, Sam and Toni also have an update on Jules Kounde's registration issues (siempre positivo!
2022-08-26 17:59:08 +0000 UTC
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Sam returns with Toni for this week's second episode to cover some of the questions left over from last week.
They cover, among other questions:
-- Toni's Real Sociedad thoughts
-- Barça's back three
-- Sergiño Dest
-- The scouting department
-- Defensive midfield targets
-- Signing full-backs
-- Griezmann mess
-- Auba and Memphis update
-- FFP breach?
2022-08-24 09:13:39 +0000 UTC
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Barcelona picked up their first win of the new LaLiga season on Sunday as they beat Real Sociedad 4-1 at Anoeta. Robert Lewandowski scored a brace on his 34th birthday and Ansu Fati made a huge impact off the bench as Xavi Hernandez's side flexed their new-found depth. Sam and Rik discuss the victory -- and Toni will be back with Sam on Tuesday for bonus podcast.
Running order:
-- What Anoeta curse?
-- Barca's tactics
-- Ferran's role
-...
2022-08-22 15:02:06 +0000 UTC
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Sam is joined by LaLiga commentator, analyst and all-round Spanish football expert Tim Lee for a Q&A with a slightly different vibe this week. They cover Tim's work, LaLiga's financial rules, the best coaches in Spain, Casemiro's shock move to Manchester United and plenty of Barcelona issues.
Running order:
-- Preparing for commentary
-- Pressured of Barça and Madrid
-- LaLiga's financial rules
-- Celta's Denis Suarez problem
-...
2022-08-19 12:09:03 +0000 UTC
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Hello! Sam here. A slightly different Q&A this week. It will be me and special guest Tim Lee (@timjollylee), a journalist and commentator for LaLiga TV. So any specific questions for Tim are very much encouraged -- whether on his commentaries, wider LaLiga issues or anything else! I will endeavour to answer the Barça questions (!) but if you have any specific questions for Rik and/or Toni, make it clear and they will answer a few recorded ones to feed in to the episode. Thanks for your s...
2022-08-16 12:03:54 +0000 UTC
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Barcelona's LaLiga campaign began with a goalless draw at the weekend against Rayo Vallecano. Not even getting Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha registered in time could help them break down their stubborn opposition, who had chances of their own.
Sam and Toni reflect on the game with Rik in Australia -- although he did send in his ratings -- and then look at what can be expected from Barça in the final two weeks of the season.
Running order:
<...
2022-08-15 11:34:27 +0000 UTC
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The football is upon us! On Saturday, Barcelona's new campaign begins with a visit from Rayo Vallecano, who did the double over the Catalans last year. Toni joins Sam to discuss Barça's registration issues and a busy summer of signings, before they both make some, at times, bold predictions for the new season in Spain.
Running order:
-- Will everyone be registered?
-- Rating Barça's summer
-- Best signing
-- XI vs. Rayo Vallecano
...
2022-08-11 13:14:15 +0000 UTC
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Lewandowski opened his account for Barça in the Joan Gamper thrashing of Pumas, Dani Alves was back, Frenkie de Jong was threatened with legal action and Toni reveals what Barcelona need to get all their players registered by the weekend and the opening league game against Rayo Vallecano. Apols for Rik's audio which loses some sharpness partway into the pod, but as a Barça manager would say, es lo que hay.
2022-08-08 19:11:12 +0000 UTC
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Rik and Toni go through your questions from Camp Nou after Robert Lewandowski was presented, while Sam chips in too from his holiday in the mountains. Re-uploaded after a problem with the original audio.
2022-08-05 15:32:28 +0000 UTC
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As well as the Premier League game (scroll down to find entry link/code) we made a La Liga game too. Can register here:
https://laligafantasymarca.onelink.me/KnII/5l6qi7xa
Apparently you have to put your region as Spain to be able to enter it. And if it doesn't automatically add you then the code is: 12s1ayli.
Patron Josh Colley kindly took the time to explain some of the r...
2022-08-05 15:08:44 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone, we'll prob pod on Friday (although tbd) for Q&A so fire away with any questions.
Plus, we created an FPL division, if anyone plays. I (Rik) will send the winner some kind of prize... if anyone can beat me
https://fantasy.premierleague.com/leagues/auto-join/9twlkn
League Code: 9twlkn
2022-08-03 14:59:04 +0000 UTC
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