La Liga Lowdown

The 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.
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A pulsating weekend with goals galore! Join Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Román De Arquer (@Aeroslavee) to recap Matchday 29 in LaLiga.

We begin in the capital for the Madrid derby. The visitors were looking to do the double over their rivals and took the lead, but Fede Valverde and Vini Jr turned things around to keep the title race alive.

Elsewhere, Barcelona were made to work extremely hard to maintain their 100% home record against Rayo, with Joan García again showing why Luis de le Fuente could no longer ignore his stellar form.

Villarreal cemented their place in the top four with a comfortable win over Real Sociedad, while Athletic returned to winning ways in their first match since Ernesto Valverde announced he will leave at the end of the season. Betis are five without a win in LaLiga, and the coveted potential fifth Champions League spot is very much up for grabs.

In Part Two we delve into the relegation scrap, which is returning to be a dogfight as the weeks go by. Alavés could have folded and capitulated when Celta went 3-0 up on Sunday afternoon, but instead they fought back and produced a magnificent comeback, something not seen in LaLiga since 2005. Four goals and three priceless points.

Earlier in the weekend, there were two enormous six-pointers at the bottom. Firstly, Elche ended their accursed winless run with a come-from-behind win over Mallorca, helped by Vedat Muriqi missing the target from the penalty spot in stoppage time. Then, Levante put four past a spirited Oviedo to give themselves more than half a chance of survival.

The real losers of the weekend were Sevilla, who were defeated at home again, and look set to sack Matiás Almeyda this week. It can hardly be a surprise for a side who have only won twice since mid-December, but the revolving door to the gaffer’s office is not the biggest problem in the intense heat of Seville.

We are back in midweek with the international break bonus podcast. Like, follow, and subscribe at lllonline.substack.com for all our content as the season heads into the business end.
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The run-in starts here! Join Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Román De Arquer (@Aeroslavee) to recap Matchday 28 in LaLiga.

On election day in Barcelona, Joan Laporta was in triumphant mood after being emphatically re-elected as Barcelona president. There were celebrations on the pitch too after a 5-2 victory over Sevilla re-established their four-point lead over Real Madrid. We hear from Román what it was like around Camp Nou on polling day and the impressive performance from Barça, particularly hat-trick hero Raphinha.

Real Madrid enjoyed a comfortable night too, beating sorry Elche 4-1 ahead of their trip to Manchester. Fede Valverde stepped up again, but it was the youthful flavour to Los Blancos and Arda Güler’s incredible 68-metre golazo which stole the headlines.

Atleti dealt with Getafe in between their sparring with Spurs with a stunning strike of their own, while Real Sociedad are dreaming big after dispatching Osasuna 3-1 on Sunday night. The bloated middle all struggled to break clear of the pack, allowing Pellegrino Matarazzo’s side to steal a march. Betis-Celta ended all square, while Athletic Club could not honour Iñaki Williams’ landmark with a result.

Plus, there were some significant movements at the bottom of the table, as Elche’s defeat allowed Mallorca to take full advantage and come from behind to beat Espanyol (who like Elche remain winless in 2026). Martín Demichelis registered his first win with a clear style, but Quique Sánchez Flores will have to wait after another gut-wrenching late goal against his Alavés side.

Like, follow, and subscribe at lllonline.substack.com for all our LaLiga and Champions League content as the season heads into the business end.
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New week, new recap pod reviewing LaLiga's most recent matches, with Ben Sully (@SullyBen) and Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee).

In part one, the title race comes to life with Real Madrid's late winner against Celta de Vigo, while Barça relies on Lamine Yamal to win the game against an Athletic Club side that possibly deserved more. We also get a preview of the Copa del Rey final, with Atlético de Madrid defeating Real Sociedad, and a look into Elche's critical situation after yet another winless match, this time losing to Villarreal.

Part two kicks off with the exciting Valencia vs Alavés, with Quique Sánchez Flores falling short in his debut after a late Che comeback. Ben & Román also praise José Bordalás' supernatural abilities to get the most out of his players and talk about Mallorca's throwaway at El Sadar, as well as all the other fixtures of the weekend.

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.
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Join Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) to review Matchday 26 of LaLiga.

Part One focuses on Barça's 4-1 victory against Villarreal, with special praise for Lamine Yamal and his first hat-trick as a professional footballer. Three fantastic goals that ensure Barça remain up top and put some fear into Atlético de Madrid before the second leg of the Copa del Rey tie. An Atleti who in fact struggled to defeat Real Oviedo away, leaving it to the very end, thanks to a Julián Álvarez goal that ended his goalless streak in LaLiga. The Basque teams also get a shout, with Athletic drawing vs Rayo and Real Sociedad still riding the Pellegrino Matarazzo effect.

Part Two starts with one of the matches of the weekend: the Andalusian derby between Betis and Sevilla. A game of two halves, where Betis went ahead by two goals in the first half, but ultimately threw away their advantage, allowing Sevilla to grab a point. Our duo also talk about Celta's comeback at Girona, Valencia's solid win against Osasuna, Levante still believing and Elche's late draw against Espanyol.

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.