La Liga Lowdown

There were 35 goals in the nine La Liga games across this weekend and yet arguably the most dramatic events occurred off the pitch. Join hosts Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) and Román de Arquer (@Aeroslavee) as they slice and dice an incredibly entertaining Matchday 5 in LaLiga.

Part one begins with the Sunday night partidazo as Real Betis laid down their credentials for the top four with a crucial victory over Villarreal, as we examine which team are now favourites for fourth place. Julen Lopetegui finally got his and Sevilla's first win away to Espanyol, which staves off fears for his position. Then the rest of part one is dedicated to Madrid. Atlético beat Celta Vigo and Real Madrid beat Real Mallorca, both by three goal margins. Neither were as comfortable as it ended up looking though, ahead of their meeting next week.

The second half of the show gets underway as we recount a surreal match between Cádiz and Barcelona, which lasted close to four hours. On the footballing side of things, we question how ready they are for their big test against Bayern Munich. Getafe got their first victory too, but Cádiz and Elche remain winless. We analyse the impending jeopardy for Francisco, before rounding off the rest of the action - not least the fight scene at Rayo Vallecano.

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After a momentous midweek in Europe, the domestic action continues at breakneck speed. It was a fantastic set of results which saw six Spanish victories out of seven - only Sevilla were unable to get a result, humbled and hammered by Haaland (sorry Julen).

Join Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) to discuss what it all means for the next round of LaLiga: Will Real Madrid stay perfect? How many goals with Barcelona score against Cádiz? Can Sevilla recover from two dismal defeats?

These questions and plenty more are on the agenda as Matt and Paco go through all ten upcoming matches. Make sure to keep Sunday night free as Betis take on Villarreal in a fascinating battle in the race for the top four. Paco insists this is a must-watch for everyone.

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Following another scintillating weekend of LaLiga action, the table is beginning to look a little more familiar. Real Madrid edged out Real Betis before Barcelona brushed aside Sevilla. Atleti were unable to keep pace as they slipped to a draw at Real Sociedad, Hosts Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Thom Harris (@ThomHarris_) assess whether the title race consists of just two horses.

Beyond that, Villarreal continued their spectacular start with another bag of goals and another clean sheet. Are they set for the top four? How long can Julen Lopetgui hold on at Sevilla, who are no longer stuttering but swerving off course.

Part Two kicks off with reaction to Valencia's impressive home performance on Sunday night against hapless Getafe. Gattuso-ball is praised in generous measure, with a similar does of criticism for Geta, as well as Elche and Cádiz, who all occupy the bottom three.

The rest of the matches are analysed too, including another Aspas show for Celta - is Luis Enrique watching? Osasuna also continued their strong start, while Athletic were stunned by Espanyol. Mallorca and Girona fought out a draw, while Real Valladolid host Almería on Monday night.

Follow us @LaLigaLowdown and subscribe to our newsletter at laligalowdown.substack.com. Commentary clips from Cope.

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After a frenetic end to the transfer window, we can concentrate on the football once again. That's exactly what Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) do here, with a mouth-watering round of LaLiga action in prospect.

Featuring discussion on all ten matches across the weekend, there is a particular focus on the three partidazos on Saturday, which include a clash of the two hitherto perfect sides in the capital.

Find out which game Paco calls 'a final' and what he thinks of Valencia's transfer market. Spoiler: it involves Carlos Soler sadness.

We'll be back with the reaction to everything that unfolds, but in the meantime, follow us @LaLigaLowdown and subscribe to our newsletter to have all the reaction and analysis sent straight to your inbox - laligalowdown.substack.com.

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It might be late summer but everything still feels fresh in LaLiga. We bring you our review of all the weekend's action, from a late win for the champions to another defeat for Sevilla.

In Part One, hosts Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) discuss the big two and compare their respective wins on a rousing Sunday night, forged in highly contrasting circumstances. Also on the agenda is Rayo's poor home form, the Celta captain in the form of an ancient mathematician and Julen Lopetegui's interesting choice of criticism for his own players.

Before the break we hear from our man in Seville, Gregor Chappelle (@gregorchappelle), who gives us his analysis of the growing tensions at the Andalusian club, and whether Lopetegui really is in the last-chance saloon.

After the break, we speak to Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) on his way home from Mestalla, after Valencia impressed again but fell to a narrow defeat thanks to Antoine Griezmann in his new super-sub role. The man of the moment is Edinson Cavani, and Paco tells us what he can bring to Los Che. Following a tour of the remaining games, we play out with the sweet sound of Valencianistas serenading their new signing: El Matador.

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The LaLiga action keeps coming thick and fast with Matchday 3 already upon us. Join Thom Harris (@ThomHarris_) and Román De Arquer (@Aeroslavee) as they look ahead to ten more tantalising matches across the weekend.

Starting on Friday night, can Girona quickly back up their Monday night win without another positive result when Celta visit Catalunya? Then there is a sizzler in Seville as two of the sides with a 100% record face off. Can Osasuna cause a surprise at Betis?

Onto Saturday, we get a first look at how Real Sociedad will shape up without Alexander Isak, who is Premier League bound. The boys discuss this bombshell transfer and how Imanol will adjust his attack. Rayo look to continue their fine start with their first match in front of their own fans against Mallorca, before an Andalusian derby at Power Horse Stadium - is this for Sevilla the earliest must-win game in history?

Sunday also promises plenty, with Getafe hosting Villarreal, Barcelona hosting Real Valladolid and Espanyol getting a visit from the champions. Tough tests for a couple of coaches already feeling a bit of pressure against raised expectations.

The round concludes on Monday with basement boys Cádiz hosting Athletic before potentially the game of the weekend at Mestalla: Valencia vs Atleti. Can Diego Simeone's side respond from their home defeat to Villarreal? Antoine Griezmann could be important, but will Simeone be allowed to play him for any significant length of time?

Keep up to date with all our content @LaLigaLowdown and subscribe to our newsletter at laligalowdown.substack.com.

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The second round of action is now complete and we reconvened to dissect all the action, from a Super Sunday that lived up to the billing to a Sevilla side that definitely did not. With only four sides on maximum points and only two without a point, there was plenty of intrigue across the matchday.

Join Matt Clark (@MattClark_08), Román De Arquer (@Aeroslavee) and Thom Harris (@ThomHarris_) as they discuss 4-1 wins for Real Madrid and Barcelona alike, as well as that significant triumph for Villarreal at the Metropolitano.

Part Two brings delights such as Osasuna's resurgent home form, the stark contrast between the two Seville giants, and a manic Monday at Montilivi, as well as the moments of the weekend.

Follow us @LaLigaLowdown on Twitter, and subscribe to our newsletter at laligalowdown.substack.com.

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Join Sam Leveridge (@samleveridge) and Paco Polit (@pacopolitENG) to preview the action in matchday two of LaLiga's 2022/23 campaign, including a super Sunday of fixtures.

Barcelona travel to Real Sociedad while Atlético Madrid welcome Villarreal. Paco also tells us about how Mestalla has gone up in flames this week ahead of Gennaro Gattuso's trip to face Ernesto Valverde's Athletic Club at San Mamés.

We also discuss the need for a win for Sevilla against Valladolid, Betis' optimism against Mallorca, and how the time is right for Espanyol, Osasuna and Getafe to push for the top half against Rayo Vallecano, Cádiz and Girona respectively. Elsewhere, Almería will also be hoping to get their first points on the board against Elche.

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La Liga returned this weekend and it was every bit as fun as you had imagined so join hosts Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) and Thom Harris (@ThomHarris_) as they debrief all the action, with the actual football contradicting the transfer narratives.

Barcelona were supposed to destroy everything in their path but nobody had reckoned with quite such a mighty Rayo Vallecano. What went wrong for Barcelona and what went right for Rayo, before we get into two managerial debuts. Diego Martinez's Espanyol and Gennaro Gattuso's Valencia had differing fortunes but there were green shoots to hang onto. Further up the predicted table, the race for the Champions League spot is arguably the tightest in La Liga, hence why Thom is so concerned about a haggard old Sevilla.

In part two, Real Madrid looked tireless as knocked repeatedly on the door - find out why just a 2-1 victory over Almeria was so ominous. Atlético Madrid and Real Betis brought the entertainment value on Monday night, as both reminded us that they do actually have very good teams, even if they haven't signed many players. The show closes with Thom picking out his moment of the week and a commentator requesting that they be warned if you're going to do something like that.

For more content and coverage of La Liga, follow @LaLigaLowdown on Twitter.

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As the new season dawns, join Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) for a full preview of the first round of matches. From Pamplona on Friday night to Seville on Monday, there are ten tantalising fixtures to look forward to.

Will reigning champions Real Madrid back up their Super Cup triumph with a winning start to their title defence? Can Barcelona get all their signings registered in time? How will the new coaches fare in their first outings on their new benches? What about the promoted sides?

All this and plenty more was on the agenda, including Ruairidh's assessment of the turbulent summer at Camp Nou.

Check out our Twitter feed (@LaLigaLowdown), which features predictions for the season from our squad, and follow us for coverage of the opening weekend.

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