Matchday 20 Preview

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1:37Hello everyone and welcome to this week's Friday Preview pod from the Spanish Football Podcast. I'm Phil Kitchmelides. Sid Lowe is with me as ever to look ahead to what's coming up this weekend on Match Day 20 in La Liga EA Sports. Hello, Sidney. Good morning, Philip. Good morning, my friend. It's been a busy week. It's been a busy old week. It has a little bit, yeah. And we have more football this weekend. We had football last night, of course, with Barcelona making it through to the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey, beating Rating de Santander by two goals to Nerlina in a tough game. It was the kind of tough game that we expected it to be from the side who are currently top of the Segunda División.

2:17They made a number of changes, though, I think perhaps prioritising their promotion push. We heard their manager on the radio prior to the game basically saying it's all about promotion for us. And this game is fun, but it is not our main goal. They gave it a good go, but Barcelona were too strong and won 2-0. Valencia also making it through to the quarterfinals. They beat Burgos 2-0 as well. So let's look ahead to what's coming up this weekend. By the way, Sid, we had quite a few nice comments about the new format of the podcast, the preview pod, where we talk about every game. And that's down to you, Sid.

2:55So great idea. Well done.

2:57Phil Kitromilides:Amazing. Creativity. I mean, you know, coming up with a prediction for each game. By the way, I haven't actually checked. I don't know if you have. I don't know if producer Al has. How badly wrong those predictions may or may not have been. Yeah, Al says, oh, yeah, wait, how many did we get right? Well, we don't know, mate. We don't know, but we will try. I will look while we are recording. So this is what's coming up this weekend, and then we'll go through game by game. It all kicks off tonight. It's a Catalan derby at the RCDE Stadium. Espanyol against Girona. I'm on commentary for that. It should be good.

3:29I'm also on commentary for Real Madrid against Levante at the Bernabeu, which is going to be fiery. More off the pitch than on the pitch, I would suggest, but that should be intriguing. Mallorca against Athletic Club. Osasuna against Oviedo. And the Saturday night game looks like a decent one. Betis against Villarreal. Then on Sunday, Getafe against Valencia will be awful. Atletico Madrid against Alaves at the Metropolitano. Ah, Sid, it's back-to-back, so you can't get to both. That is a tragedy. I wouldn't be going to either, in fact. Ah, yes, because there's Celta Vigo against Rayo Vallecano.

4:04And then you are at Anueta for Real Sociedad against Barcelona. The Sunday night game also looking pretty intriguing. Monday Night Football, Elche against Sevilla. Sevilla also on a Monday night for the second week in a row. You'll be commentating that one as well. All right, let's go through these games then. Espanyol against Girona. It is a Catalan derby. There isn't too much of a rivalry between these two sides. The rivalry is who's going to be second best in Catalonia. For a while, it was Girona. Well, for a season. But Espanyol flying, absolutely flying. Sid, 34 points after the first half of the season.

4:42It's a massive, massive improvement on the season last year. And we're expecting a home win or not?

4:52Phil Kitromilides:I personally am going for a draw in this. Okay. I think obviously Espanyol are in a better place than Girona. Girona, I think that their improvement lately has been pretty significant. And Michel has talked about a team that competes now. And I think earlier in the season, they really didn't. Three wins out of four. A team that has become aware of, how do I put this? I suppose aware of itself. Aware of what its limitations is, aware of what its real challenge is, aware that this isn't the Champions League chasing team now. And I think they have improved dramatically. So I'm going for a draw on this one.

5:28Yes, I think Jorona have improved dramatically. And actually, I didn't see this coming necessarily, not least with Unai away at the African Cup of Nations and him being such an important player for them, but they haven't necessarily missed him at all. Absolutely, yeah, yeah. And watch out for Arnal Martinez as well. What an important and versatile player he is as well. Been playing in midfield, but obviously he's a right-back by nature and a very significant player for Girona. All right, that is Espanyol against Girona. You've gone for a draw. I'll go for a draw as well. We got five out of eight last week, Sid.

6:03Five right out of eight.

6:04Phil Kitromilides:It's not bad, is it? And bear in mind that I want to make something very clear at this point. People assume, well, you know, it's 50-50 chance. It's not. It's a 33-33-33 chance. Well, yeah, I think everyone knows that. Do they? I always feel like people look at predictions and go, oh, well, you know, you had a 50-50 chance. Three things can happen in a football match, guys. Breaking news. Real Madrid against Levante then. This is, oof, oof. Wow. I mean, we thought Real Madrid had hit rock bottom against Albacete. We did a lot of that reaction on our Patreon page. We did a TSFP diary from Albacete on what it was like to be at the game and at the stadium and in the city for that historic night.

6:48We discussed on the bonus pod yesterday about Real Madrid's abysmal performance. But wow, if they don't win against Levante, I would be just hugely concerned if I was a Real Madrid fan. Conversely though, Sid, listen, Real Madrid at home to Levante, Levante 19th, and Barcelona are away to Real Sociedad, which is not what it was, but still a tricky place to go. This could actually end up being a good weekend for Real Madrid.

7:18Phil Kitromilides:It could. And it is one of those weekends where I think you'd have looked ahead at the next five or six weeks of fixtures and thought this is a weekend where we cut the gap a little bit. It could be only one point. If Barcelona were loose and Real Madrid would win, it could be only one point at the top of the table. Real Madrid's crisis feeling very relative at that point. But of course, the crisis goes beyond just that. I think when you said you were commentating on this, the first thing that came to mind when you said that actually was kind of, I hope you go to air long enough before kickoff to see potentially a really important part of this game, which is the reaction in the sort of 20 minutes before kickoff.

7:52Phil Kitromilides:The reaction to the team being read out, the reaction just before kickoff. the reaction if in those first 10 minutes of the game Madrid don't play very well and how quickly the fans kind of get a bit edgy and that maybe there's some whistles but it's still Real Madrid against Levante and you know this is one of the things about this crisis for Real Madrid I was about to say the results haven't been that bad but of course you know losing the Super Cup final in theory is a bad result although you've been beaten 3-2 by Barcelona losing at Alba Theta of course is a terrible result but the results are not as bad as the feel about the way that Real Madrid are.

8:31No, they've won their last three games in the league. 5-1 against Betis, 2-0 against Sevilla and 2-1 against Alaves.

8:38Phil Kitromilides:Yeah, one of those was good. The other two weren't. The Betis game was good. One of them was good for parts of it. Yeah, okay. Yeah, no, I thought they were good. I did think they were quite good against Betis but then there was a period in that game where they allowed Betis back into it and you thought they might lose it. Of course, that was Gonzalo Garcia's big game. So I suppose the question here is, what's the formation? What's Ardabolo going to do with his team? I think if we take anything from the midweek game, which I don't think we can take too much, it's 4-3-3. I think we can take a desire to get Fede Valverde back into midfield rather than up front.

9:14Phil Kitromilides:But then with all the midfielders available, with Chermany available again, who's the other one? Assuming that Bellingham is ready. Bellingham? Yeah, assuming that Bellingham is ready, it's Bellingham. But there's no doubt that one of the things that Abloh is going to want to try to do or the club is going to want him to try and do is get Goula back in the team. And actually, I think this is part of the issue with Real Madrid. There are certain positions they haven't got, and there are other positions where they've got too many players, and you can't put them all in. How do you fit Bellingham, Vinicius, Rodrigo, Mbappé, Goula?

9:43Phil Kitromilides:Mastantano, I think, is a sub. But how do you fit those five into the team? Yes, it's almost like it's a very badly planned out squad. yes yes almost anyway Real Madrid's home win yeah regular listeners to the podcast will know that I've got a friend slash acquaintance he's a dad at the school my son goes to he's a Real Madrid massive Real Madrid supporter Real Madrid's socio season ticket holder goes and he's quite angry travels in the travels at the Champions League as well he's a massive massive massive Madridista just to remind you this is the guy when Sergio Ramos came back he's like I cannot wait to go there and whistle Sergio Ramos absolute disgrace of a guy so this is this that that's his flex i asked him what scale of one to ten how much he was going to whistle the uh the players uh tomorrow and his reply was 25 so it's going to be it's going to be quite a response from the Bernabeu crowd and the players are going to have to work hard tomorrow not just to win the game but to get the crowd back on their side i think yes at the moment yeah they're furious they're furious and you know there are international Madridistas all over the world who I think have a slightly different way of viewing the team and the sporting entity that is Real Madrid but we say this again Madridistas, socios who go to the Bernabeu week in week out have a very very demanding view of their team we know what a demanding fan base they are and they are absolutely furious yes yeah for what it's worth I think once if they do start playing well that'll that'll drift but it'll be always there just beneath the surface for any five or ten minute period in which Madrid sort of fall apart again I mean They're not going to whistle if they score.

11:19No, no, no, exactly.

11:21Phil Kitromilides:Here's the other question. They will whistle the players, no doubt. Will we, for the first time in a while, get this turned explicitly on the director's box and on the president? Well, we'll hear. We'll find out. We will find out. All right, so that's what I wanted against Levante. We've gone for a home win, although Levante are in decent form under their new manager. They lost a way match. They won 3-0 at Sevilla. They drew 1-1 against high-flying Espanyol in the previous game. and they have the eighth best away record in the division. They're actually quite strong away from home, appalling at home, but very strong away from home.

11:54So we'll see if they can give Real Madrid a decent game. And then it's Mallorca against Athletic Club. This is a really, really big game for Mallorca, who have lost back-to-back matches. They're just one point above the relegation zone. Athletic Club, who haven't won since the start of December in the league, two defeats and a draw in their last three games. and generally they've been a pretty disappointing and underwhelming athletic club. They just about squeaked through against second division culturali or Nessa midweek in the Copa del Rey. But again, underwhelming and not particularly convincing.

12:29So, Majorca Athletic Club, Sid? I think a home win.

12:33Phil Kitromilides:I don't think very convincingly. But I think a home win, I think they desperately need it. And I suspect that if they don't get a home win, then we might be seeing the end of Arasata as coach. I would say this is a sort of nailed on 1-1 draw. Yeah, you're right. It has a feel for 1-1, but I just feel Mallorca need this badly enough. Home win. Score more with the college-branded Venmo debit card and earn up to 5 % cash back with Venmo Stash. Got paid back? With the Venmo debit card, you can instantly access your balance and spend on what you want, like game day snacks, gear, tickets, and more. The more you do, the more cash back you can earn.

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13:42Phil Kitromilides:So good, so good, so good. Spring styles are at Nordstrom Rack stores now, and they're up to 60 % off. Stock up and save on Rag & Bone, Madewell, Vince, All Saints, and more of your favorites. How did I not know Rack has Adidas? Why do we rock? For the hottest deals. Just so many good brands. Join the Nordic Club to unlock exclusive discounts, shop new arrivals first, and more. Plus, buy online and pick up at your favourite rack store for free. Great brands, great prices. That's why you rack. Speaking of teams that need it badly, Osasuna against Oviedo. Are you going to Pamplona? Yeah, of course I am.

14:20Of course you are. What a ridiculous question.

14:22Phil Kitromilides:Well, I mean, I'm going to Rouse-Othinad the following day, so it's a nice little trip, a nice little take-in to trip up to the north. It is. Very nice. out of hope rather than expectation, I guess. Oh, absolutely. I don't expect anything ever anymore. I mean, I never did, really. You think you'll score goal? No. In the whole game, I think I might not. In fact, I'm going to put my money where my mouth is. Nil-nil draw. Nil-nil draw? No, that's a sooner we'll score, won't they? Home win. Home win. Yeah. Yeah, home win. Home win. Home win. I think this feels like it might be the guaranteed banker of the weekend, Osasuna, at home.

15:05To Oviedo, although Osasuna were involved in the Copa del Rey midweek, they went to extra time and lost to a Real Sociedad on penalties in quite an emotionally gutting... So you're saying there's a chance? I'm saying there's a chance you might get another 0-0.

15:20Phil Kitromilides:Excellent. Yes, you take that. Yeah. Oviedo currently five points from... fede vene is back from suspension so so we might actually have a striker on the pitch yes you might i'm going to stop being mean about oviedo that's it i'm going to just be super positive now actually i'll tell you what i've got uh one of my one of my good friends here he is a very big and a very very very negative real madrid fan but his wife's from asturias and all her family are oviedo fans so his second team is basically uh oviedo and he's like i'm not watching real madrid anymore i forget those guys i can't stand them i'm only watching oviedo uh for the rest of the season but he's like and he said to me i bet you a dinner that oviedo stay up i was like are you are you out of your mind of course they're not going to stay up and he said no no no no almada i'm trusting in him i've seen a change i believe that they can stay up that i bet you a dinner that we stay up i said listen i'm going to make it easier for you i i can't take that bet on.

16:21I will say to you, Oviedo will finish four points or more from safety. And he's like, right, that's the bet. So there we go. I think Oviedo, I'm not going to get even close to staying up. But shout out to my friend, Oscar, who does. He's feeling good.

16:36Phil Kitromilides:Good on you, Oscar. I believe in you. Do I? No, I don't. But good on you. One of the things you've just said there, Oviedo will finish four points off safety. You can do the maths and think that even if there was a really dramatic upterm, the The task is huge. You're talking about basically European form now, from now to the end of the season, to be able to survive. And I just don't think that's possible. It was a nice phrase from Oscar on the WhatsApp chat. He said, Hoy me he levantado jugón. He's like, I've woken up playful. So let's put this bet in a playful mood. But yeah, I've got a while to decide where he's going to take me for dinner.

17:16Betis against Villarreal. I think it might be a steak place, right? I mean, I was just guessing. Betis against Villarreal, an attractive-looking game on Saturday evening at La Cartuja. These are between two sides who would generally have the notion that they are battling for fourth or fifth. Villarreal currently third, Betis currently sixth. And Betis' form at the start of this year has been a little bit disappointing. obviously beaten 5-1 by Real Madrid and then drawing 1-1 away against Oviedo. We spoke a little bit about them yesterday on the podcast that we did, the bonus pod, about the difference in their home and their away form.

17:58At home, Betis have actually picked up more points than they have home than away, but I was just looking at their points away from home. They're not actually that bad away from home, so maybe it's the feeling. They've drawn seven on the road more than anybody. That's it. They haven't lost too many. But at home, against a Villarreal side, who we know what they're going to do, Sid. We know Villarreal's game plan.

18:20Phil Kitromilides:Well, I think we know how the game's going to go, because we sort of know what both teams are going to do. Now, I do think that's a little bit more nuanced with Betis at the moment. I think there have been times when they've had a little bit less of the ball. I think the two wingers mean that they are occasionally a tiny, tiny bit more direct. But, you know, let's not overplay that, because they still want the ball. They still want to play to the wingers, rather than just boot it up and release the wingers. but I think the likely pattern of this game is Betis with a bit more possession you know sort of a 56-44 something like that 60-40 perhaps and Villarreal reasonably happy with that and being very very incisive on the break against a Betis defence that doesn't look all that strong I am going to stick my neck out here and say away win Oh okay, Betis do have a sorry Villarreal do have a very good away record five wins from eight this season They didn't play in the Copa del Rey midweek because they were knocked out.

19:13Their sole focus is the league. Betis beat Elche at La Cartuja on Wednesday night. So let's see. Looking forward to that one. That should be a pretty decent game between two interesting sides. Let's go then to the games on Sunday. Getafe against Valencia. Would have had your name written all over it, Sid.

19:32Phil Kitromilides:It would have done, absolutely. Sadly, you won't be able to attend this feast of football. stop being mean about Getafe. Stop it.

19:43Nil-nil?