La Liga Lowdown

No centre-backs, no problem. Join Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Ben Sully (@SullyBen) as they look back on a weekend where Real Madrid overcame a defensive injury crisis to smash Girona’s dreams of achieving their fairytale ending.

Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham played starring roles in the demolition job, moving Carlo Ancelotti’s side five points clear at the top. Elsewhere in Part One, we discuss another poor home result for Barcelona as they play out an entertaining 3-3 draw against relegation-threatened Granada. There was also disappointment for Atlético Madrid, who lost out to a rejuvenated Sevilla side at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán.

Real Betis swept past struggling Cádiz to move into sixth place as goal-shy Real Sociedad dropped down to seventh with a home defeat to Osasuna. Meanwhile, Celta showed all their fighting qualities at the Coliseum to come back from two goals down, only for Getafe to land the killer blow late on. Matt and Ben also discuss all the other fixtures from the weekend, including another solid win for surprise European hopefuls Las Palmas.

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¿Hay Liga? To find out, join Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Román de Arquer (@aeroslavee), who analyse all the weekend's fixtures and look back at some of the never-ending VAR controversy that overshadows Spanish football.

First off is the Madrid derby, in which Marcos Llorente gave Los Blancos a taste of their own medicine with a very late equaliser. A goal that opens up LaLiga and gives Girona a massive shot next weekend at the Bernabéu.

Matt and Román then talk about Girona's messy draw, Barça's convincing win, Athletic thrashing Mallorca, Celta taking home three massive points from El Sadar and all the other fixtures, as well as previewing the first legs of the Copa del Rey semi-finals.

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There's never a dull weekend in LaLiga. Especially not in Barcelona. Join Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Román De Arquer (@aeroslavee) on the weekend in which Xavi pressed the quit button.

Following weeks of discussion and a calamitous 5-3 defeat at home to Villarreal, there were backroom discussions, a delayed press conference and then the bombshell. Xavi will leave at the end of the season. 

We spend most of Part One discussing the news, its timing, and how things fell apart so quickly for the club legend. 

Real Madrid, Girona and Atleti all won their respective matches to keep up the pace at the top end of the table, but the main Basque pair both suffered Copa hangovers and had to settle for stalemates. A worthy debut point for new Cádiz coach Mauricio Pellegrino. Betis and Manuel Pellegrini were the beneficiaries of those results as they closed the gap on the top six.

Elsewhere, there was more misery for Sevilla and Almería, who are making Groundhog Day look refreshingly different. Spare a thought for the fans.

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Matchday 21 in La Liga was full of goals, controversy, comebacks and a sacking. Hosts Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) and Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) are on hand to lament the underdog story that never was for Almería.

Real Madrid managed what should have been a heroic comeback, against Almería of all sides, but three highly controversial VAR reviews even had some Madridistas feel raising their eyebrow. Paco explains how the circumstances were damaging to the La Liga product, but at the end of it all, Los Blancos are closer to the title.

Girona ensured they would not sleep at the top of the table though, as Artem Dovbyk trampled Sevilla and put himself top of the Pichichi standings in the process. Barcelona are hanging on by their fingernails, as we discuss a potential sea change in the Catalan capital.

In the second half of the show, we bid farewell to Sergio González in a sacking that even he saw coming. The picture still seems somewhat bleak for the Yellow Submarine though. Valencia halted Athletic Club’s march in its tracks, and Osasuna’s Jesús Areso impersonates Roberto Carlos. Paco looks ahead to the Copa del Rey quarter-finals too.

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Catch up on all the latest in Spanish football with Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee). In Part One we delve into the the Spanish Supercopa final in which Real Madrid pounced first and last to celebrate their first title of 2024, while Xavi keeps digging his grave. Will he make it to the end of the season? How good was Vini Jr? How bad was Barcelona's defending? Can Real Madrid win all four trophies on offer this season?

In Part Two we look at all the LaLiga action from the weekend: Sevilla and Villarreal's unstoppable downfall, Girona's shock result against Almería, the Basque derby and plenty more. Remember you can subscribe to our Substack for a very small sum to support our work and get unlimited access to all our content! With action coming thick and fast, there has never been a better time to upgrade.

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The Copa del Rey saw the kings of Spanish football mix it with the anymen, but there was to be little in the way of success for the little guys. With 15 of the 16 sides going through decided, 14 of them are from La Liga. Hosts Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) and Román de Arquer (@aeroslavee) discuss why.

The new format has largely been regarded as a success over recent years, and the pros and cons are broken down after a largely uninspiring Round of 32. Alavés did cause one of the few upsets, beating 2022 winners Real Betis, and causing a sour start to 2024 for Manuel Pellegrini. Elsewhere there was a Real Madrid debut six months in the making.

In the second half of the show, we break down the Spanish Supercup semi-finals on the way, beginning with the Madrid derby. Atlético are looking as shaky as they have done since 2022, and El Cholo is backed to double down. However coming up against them are the seemingly impregnable Real Madrid. The contrast between side that were beaten in September and this one is pretty stark. Osasuna face Barcelona in the other semi-final - neither side is looking especially special right now, as we discuss Vitor Roque's first minutes too.

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Join Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Román De Arquer (@Aeroslavee) to review Matchday 17 in LaLiga as the Christmas countdown begins.

For those hoping for a four-horse title race, hopes were dashed as both Barça and Atlético Madrid stumbled on the road. Xavi's side are now winless in three following their point at Mestalla, as the doubts and questions continue to mount.

For Atleti, they simply couldn't cope with a rampant Athletic Club, spearheaded by the Williams brothers. We ask how Ernesto Valverde is getting such a tune out of a side that struggled for goals last season.

Real Madrid made a statement by dispatching Villarreal with ease to put the ball back into Girona's court ahead of their game on Monday night. With a clear gap over their usual rivals, is the title race a two-horse race? 

Elsewhere, Sevilla lurched from chaos to full blown crisis as they suffered a hammering at home to Getafe, after which Diego Alonso was promptly sacked. We review his miserable tenure and ask whether Quique Sánchez Flores is capable or arresting the slide.

At the bottom there were positive results for Celta and Cádiz but more misery for Granada, Almería and Mallorca. The bottom two look cut adrift now, is there any way back for them?

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This might not be a vintage Barcelona, but this Girona side are just a little bit special. Join hosts Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) and Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) as they break down a brilliant weekend in La Liga.

The first half of the show is dedicated to the first time ever that Girona have beaten Barcelona - and what a way to do it. Míchel's side showed Culers the football they've been desperate to see all season, and even if Barcelona had their chances, Paco explains why Girona were so much better. Then there's the post-mortem for Barcelona and Xavi Hernández - we have a checklist. 

In the second half of the show, we start with Aitor Ruibal's screamer to earn Real Betis a point against Real Madrid - one that both sides were content with. Real Sociedad gave the Yellow Submarine a bath and Diego Alonso is on borrowed time. Meanwhile Valencia get Bordalás'd. Subscribe for extra content at lllonline.substack.com. 

Our thoughts go out to the Granada fan that tragically lost their life to a heart attack during their clash with Athletic Club. Descansa en paz. 

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Join Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) to review a significant weekend with a few surprise results.

The weekend culminated with a heavyweight clash at Montjuïc as Barça took on Atleti knowing they could be effectively out of the title race had they lost. João Félix – on loan from Atleti – proved to be the match-winner, and how he enjoyed that. Iñaki Peña was also vital with a couple of superb saves to deny Diego Simeone's men.

Athletic Club routed Rayo with both Williams brothers on the scoresheet, celebrating Nico's contract renewal.

Real Madrid and Girona keep winning at the top. Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) drops in to give us his reaction from the capital. Meanwhile, Girona made hard work of it against Valencia, requiring a late doblete from Cristhian Stuani to complete the remontada.

In Part Two we review the rest of the games, including controversy denying Marcelino a fourth win in four, praise for revelatory Las Palmas, and some stalemates which suited nobody.

We end by reacting to Spain's tough Euro 2024 group draw.

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Join Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) as they review Matchday 14, game by game.

They look into the Marcelino - Morales connection that has brought Villarreal back to life, Umar Sadiq's glorious goal that saw Real Sociedad overpower Sevilla, Rodrygo recovering his best version, Rayo becoming Xavi's worst nightmare and Paco López's untimely departure, among all the other stories of the weekend.

Is Antoine Griezmann the best player in the league? Were Sevilla wrong to fire José Luis Mendilibar? Is Barcelona's season on the line this week? All these questions and more are pondered.

They also take a moment to remember Terry Venables, who sadly passed away this weekend. 'El Tel' leaves behind a great legacy that will be remembered for years to come. From the La Liga Lowdown team we send out our condolences to his family and friends.

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