It's been a busy two days: Barcelona beat Atlético Madrid to set up a Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid & Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor have been cleared to finish the season. Sam and Toni discuss all here...
2025-04-03 21:45:59 +0000 UTC View PostSam, Rik and Toni discuss Barcelona's 4-1 win over Girona and ask if it's now a two-horse race in LaLiga? Atlético Madrid are the team to have fallen away and they welcome Barça to the Spanish capital on Wednesday for the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal. The first leg ended 4-4. Also: Why doesn't Lamine Yamal need more rest? And what does Marc-Andre ter Stegen's return to training mean?
2025-04-01 10:56:34 +0000 UTC View PostRik, Toni and Sam discuss Barca's 3-0 win over Osasuna and Femeni's 6-1 (10-2) destruction of Wolfsburg in the UWCL. No Raphinha, no problem, but Kounde says players aren't machines, while Ferran flies and Wojciech's Tek-ing the mick.
2025-03-28 12:42:20 +0000 UTC View PostHansi Flick's stock had fallen in Germany after his efforts with the national team, but it should be back up after his work at Barcelona so far. Is it? Sam and Toni are joined by Alex Truica, who was on the podcast at the start of the season to discuss his skepticism at Flick's appointment. Has he changed his opinion?
Plus a Flick tidbit from Toni and some Flick himself to finish, as he discusses Barça's schedule, losing Raphina and Ronald Araújo against Osasuna and Pau Cubarsí's fi...
2025-03-26 14:28:36 +0000 UTC View PostNo action for Hansi Flick's Barcelona side this weekend, but plenty happened, including, but not limited to, a first-ever Clásico defeat for Barça Femení and Lamine Yamal helping Spain beat Netherlands with his shorts pulled down...
2025-03-24 15:48:27 +0000 UTC View PostRik, Sam and Toni tackle your questions on the latest goings-on at Barca, the transfer market, and more.
2025-03-21 18:08:12 +0000 UTC View PostBarcelona came from 2-0 down against Atlético Madrid for the second time in three weeks... but this time they held on to win 4-2 and return to the top of LaLiga. What does the result mean in the scheme of the title race?
Sam, Rik and Toni analyse Barça's latest win as Hansi Flick's go into the international break unbeaten in 18 games. Also: The journey or the destination? Marc Casadó and Iñigo Martínez injury updates and the latest on when Barça-Osasuna will be re-scheduled.
<... 2025-03-18 11:25:38 +0000 UTC View PostHello everyone!
The usual Monday podcast will drop on Tuesday morning CET. Appreciate everyone will have had ganas to hear it today after the turnaround at the Metropolitano, but travel back from the game and scheduling made it impossible in the end. Given the drama, we wanted to make sure we were all able to coincide and not leave anyone out! Hopefully you understand and we can make it up over the international break.
In the meantime, get your questions in for the next Q&A ...
2025-03-17 22:56:21 +0000 UTC View PostSam, Rik and Toni talk about Barca's 3-1 win over Benfica to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, touching on 'pausa', Raphinha, Yamal's goal, Szczesny fumador, Balde rise, ratings and more.
2025-03-12 12:02:28 +0000 UTC View PostBarcelona's weekend game against Osasuna was suspended following the unexpected death of team doctor Carles Miñarro García in the hours before the match. Sam, Rik and Toni discuss the sad news and back the decision to call off the game in the circumstances.
Despite not playing, Barça remain top of LaLiga after Atlético Madrid lost at Getafe, while Hansi Flick must now prepare his side for Tuesday's Champions League round of 16 second leg match against Benfica.
SP.
2025-03-10 11:29:56 +0000 UTC View PostSam, Rik and Toni talk Tek, Raphinha, Cubarsi red card and more as Barca earn a big 1-0 Champions League last 16 first leg win in Lisbon.
2025-03-06 12:36:13 +0000 UTC View PostBarcelona warmed up for this week's Champions League trip to Benfica with a Sunday stroll against Real Sociedad at the Olympic Stadium. It was one way traffic once La Real were reduced to 10 men in the first half, with Gerard Martín, Marc Casadó, Ronald Araújo and Robert Lewandowski helping themselves to goals in a 4-0 win.
Sam, Rik and Tonu discuss the win, Hansi Flick's faith in Martín and the one unknown ahead of that Benfica game on Wednesday in Lisbon: who will partner Pedri i...
2025-03-03 16:13:20 +0000 UTC View PostRik, Sam and Toni tackle your questions after the 4-4 Atletico thriller. A bit about Toni's Araujo interview and his Lamine Yamal tidbit, expectations, and more. There's a handful more questions we didn't get to yet, but we'll answer them at the end of the next Monday pod with a Patreon-only version.
2025-02-28 14:29:08 +0000 UTC View PostUsual drill, drop below or on Discord.
SP!
2025-02-27 10:55:39 +0000 UTC View Post
Barcelona undid all their hard work as they came back from 2-0 down to lead 4-2 before drawing 4-4 with Atlético Madrid in a crazy Copa del Rey semifinal first leg on Tuesday.
A brilliant 70 minutes, during which time Barça scored four times, was bookended by a disastrous start and an even worse ending.
What did the pod take from the game? The good or the bad? Can Barça fix their defensive woes or must the issues be accepted as part of coach Hansi Flick's style.
Plus: ...
2025-02-26 11:46:33 +0000 UTC View Post
Sam, Rik and Toni talk about Barca's win in the Canary Islands. Not a superb display but little trouble at the back means another Tek clean, and big games are approaching with the squad almost all fit.
2025-02-24 13:04:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Sam, Rik and Toni discuss the best Barcelona left-backs over the past 35 (ish) years as we continue building our dream team. With the goalkeeper and the centre-backs already picked, who will take the next spot on Barça's best modern XI?
*We're including players who were at the club from 1990 onwards, coinciding with out lifetimes and the best period in Barça's history.
2025-02-20 07:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
F--- off, Barça are top of LaLiga? Weren't they seven points behind two weeks ago?
Sam and Toni lead the podcast this week as Barcelona beat Rayo Vallecano 1-0 to return to the top of LaLiga... and there are still 14 games to go. Hansi Flick's side took advantage of Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid slip ups on a weekend which saw English swearing become the big talking point in Spain.
Rik, in Budapest, also chimes in with his ratings, but first Sam and Toni discuss Jude Belling...
2025-02-18 11:33:46 +0000 UTC View Post
A bumper Q&A was promised, a bumper Q&A has dropped. So many good questions for Sam, Rik and Toni to delve into: Who will win LaLiga? What compromises would Toni make for Barça to win LaLiga? And the Champions League? Will Araújo stay beyond the summer? And Lewandowski? Which three positions would the pod strengthen if given carte blanche to sign? Barça's best midfield? The Fernández cousins... and much, much more. There may even be some Tek references in there, just for a change....
2025-02-14 14:46:06 +0000 UTC View PostSam, Rik and Toni discuss Barca's 4-1 win at the Sanchez-Pizjuan. Talking Tek, Araujo, Fermin, Lewandowski/Ferran and more.
2025-02-11 11:30:30 +0000 UTC View PostHey guys, first up the Monday pod will drop early Tuesday this week with Toni returning from Seville. We prioritised having the trident together over timing, hope that's good with you all.
Next, get your questions in. We're looking forward to celebrating a free midweek with a bumper Q&A. There's loads to get through and questions are already building up on Discord: What happened with the Nico González transfer? The refereeing situation in Spain? ... and much more.
Add yours ...
2025-02-10 14:42:14 +0000 UTC View Post
Ferran Torres struck a 30-minute hat-trick as Barcelona smashed Valencia 5-0 at Mestalla in the Copa del Rey quarterfinal on Thursday. Hansi Flick's side join Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Real Sociedad in next Wednesday's semifinal draw.
Toni 'Tek' Torres is especially happy (TGIF) in today's pod, where he's joined by Sam and Rik to discuss Barça's depth at the moment, what the best XI would be, Barça without Robert Lewandowski and a curious situation developing with Ronald Arau...
2025-02-07 14:48:07 +0000 UTC View Post
Sam, Rik and Toni talk about Barca's important, if not overly impressive, win over Alaves which helped them get back in the title race after Real Madrid slipped up big time at Espanyol.
2025-02-03 12:32:26 +0000 UTC View Post
Sam, Rik and Toni take your questions after Barcelona's Champions League league phase concluded with a 2-2 draw against Atalanta. Hansi Flick's side progress directly to the last 16 as the second seed, ensuring no meeting with top seed Liverpool until a hypothetical final.
The questions focus on Ronald Araujo's clause, the goalkeeper situation, assessing Liverpool, how Xavi would be doing and much more.
SP!
2025-01-30 12:34:40 +0000 UTC View PostWe will take questions after the Atalanta game on Thursday, so drop anything you may have below (or on the Discord channel). Fingers crossed for another belter later. SP.
2025-01-29 09:54:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Sam, Rik and Toni talk through Barca's destruction of a woeful Valencia side. Is Szczesny the No 1? Ferran's performance, Gavi not coming on... and plenty more.
2025-01-27 11:17:00 +0000 UTC View Post
What went down in Lisbon?
Sam, Rik and Toni, fresh back from Portugal, reflect on a ridiculous Champions League game as Barcelona booked their place in the last 16 with a remarkable 5-4 comeback win over Benfica on Wednesday.
They discuss the game, mistakes, a Real Madrid mentality (!?), dues owed to Raphinha, Marcus Rashford and much more.
Oh, also, meet Rik Peña and Toni Szczesny!
2025-01-22 18:41:45 +0000 UTC View Post
After back-to-back five star showings, there is nothing like a trip to Getafe to bring you back down to earth. But there are reasons not to group Barcelona's dropped points at the Coliseum in with their pre-Christmas slump.
Sam and Rik, with Toni away in Lisbon, dissect more drop points in LaLiga from Barça, Lewandowski's form, Kounde's penalty that wasn't, the Bordalás-ation of Carles Aleña, the Copa del Rey draw and much more.
2025-01-20 15:23:10 +0000 UTC View Post
A second five star showing from Barcelona in a week as they beat Real Betis 5-1 to book their place in the Copa del Rey quarterfinal.
Sam and Rik discuss just how good Lamine Yamal is right now, Dani Olmo as a false nine, Barça's potential best XI, Hansi Flick in banter mode, Araujo se queda, Ansu se va (?), offsides in the VAR era, Joan Laporta's press conference and, to finish on a positive, people being entertained by Barça again.
Enjoy. Catch up after the trip to Getafe......
2025-01-16 14:22:20 +0000 UTC View Post
Sam, Rik and Toni discuss Barca's barnstorming 5-2 victory over rivals Real Madrid in Saudi Arabia. Dive on in!
2025-01-13 17:35:08 +0000 UTC View Post