Episode 134 - Is This Liverpool's Best Lineup? + Why Real Madrid Will BEAT Barcelona
Plus is Simeone DONE at Atletico Madrid and Arteta's doing weird stuff
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On this episode, Patrick and Neel break down the Champions League week. Arsenal dominate Atletico Madrid as Arteta’s fullbacks take center stage, while Diego Simeone’s side looks completely out of ideas. PSG smash Leverkusen, but Kaspar Hjulmand has already brought structure and clarity to a chaotic team. Liverpool roll over Frankfurt with an outrageous lineup, but can any of Slot’s new ideas translate to the Premier League? Finally, the guys preview El Clásico and discuss why both Barcelona and Real Madrid still look far from perfect. Enjoy!
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Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
00:38 – Arsenal 4–0 Atletico Madrid
01:15 – Arteta’s fullback experiment
02:10 – Gyökeres finally scores and finds his role
03:50 – Arsenal’s rotation patterns and pressing
05:45 – Why Atleti’s approach no longer works
07:05 – Simeone out? What’s next for Atletico
08:10 – Arsenal’s control vs. Atleti’s confusion
09:25 – Atleti’s defensive numbers are misleading
10:44 – Why Simeone’s system no longer fits the squad
11:30 – Time for a new direction at Atleti
12:05 – PSG 7–2 Leverkusen
12:50 – PSG’s structure and fullback overloads
13:38 – Leverkusen’s decent first half before the red cards
14:55 – What Hulmand changed immediately
15:30 – Direct play and transitions define their style
16:20 – Stabilizing the defense after Ten Hag’s chaos
17:05 – Hulmand’s Denmark influence and club adaptation
18:10 – Building a flexible 3–4–3 shape
19:10 – Leverkusen’s rebuild and young forwards
20:25 – Early signs of balance under Hulmand
21:20 – Frankfurt vs. Liverpool
22:05 – Liverpool’s wild lineup and domination
23:00 – Slot’s tweaks in attack and spacing
23:45 – Frimpong at right back and attacking overloads
24:30 – What Slot might carry into the league
25:40 – Isaac and Ekitiké together up front
26:40 – Why Kerkes still doesn’t fit the system
27:25 – Could a 4–2–2–2 actually work for Liverpool
28:15 – Squad issues and January fixes
29:10 – Transfer targets that make sense
30:20 – Frankfurt’s chaotic defending
31:00 – Liverpool’s tactical ceiling under Slot
31:45 – El Clásico preview
32:30 – Barcelona’s defense looks fragile
33:10 – Real Madrid’s movement and Mbappé’s new timing
34:00 – How Madrid can exploit Barca’s press
35:20 – Barca’s missing outlets and counter problems
36:10 – Real’s press could decide the match
37:00 – Barcelona’s shape and lack of defensive wingers
38:10 – Why Real’s structure gives them the edge
39:10 – Mbappé and Vinícius’ threat in transition
40:10 – Key matchups and tactical questions
40:50 – Outro and Patreon announcement
42:25 - Patreon Teaser