La Pausa La Pausa

On this week’s episode, Robbie Dunne and Jamie Kemp welcome Abel Meszaros onto the podcast to discuss the logic-defying Girona's season. They are on the brink of Champions League football next season and are already playing some of the most attacking football in Europe, despite not having a star-laden squad. 



Together with Abel, they discuss Girona's adaptive build-up and the role of Miguel Gutierrez as part of that. They also discuss Savio's emergence as one of the best wingers in the world but also reflect upon the defensive side of the ball where Girona struggle.



They wrap things up by discussing the summer and what will, no doubt, be a busy summer for Michel and Girona's recruitment team. 

On this week’s episode, Robbie Dunne and Jamie Kemp look back over the Clásico after Real Madrid beat Barcelona to almost settle the LaLiga title race. Jamie dug deep into the stats vault with some gems about Celta Vigo's big win over Las Palmas, Girona's demoltion of Cádiz and Real Betis getting back on track against over Valencia.



Then Robbie has a chat with Barcelona expert Domagoj Kostanjšak, discussing the Real Madrid game, where Barcelona went wrong, who should replace Xavi and a lot more. 

On this week’s episode, Robbie Dunne and Jamie Kemp go back through an existential crisis-inducing Champions League week. It feels like the end of an era for Barcelona, who succumbed to PSG with their lowest percentage of possession in the Champions League since Opta started recording this stat. Robbie and Jamie talk about Xavi and Luis Enrique's approaches and where Barcelona go from here. On the same night, Atlético Madrid lost to Borussia Dortmund and are also looking at the end of an era with a massive summer planned to rebuild their squad.



And then Real Madrid come out and beat Manchester City on penalties in one of the most bizarre games in recent Champions League history. Man City’s field tilt in the game was 89% - the highest Opta have on record for a Champions League KO stage game without any red cards and they had 88 touches in the opposition box, compared to 12 for Real Madrid. This was utter domination on a statistical level but Robbie and Jamie try their best to explain the inexplicable as Real Madrid march on.

On the latest episode, Robbie Dunne and Jamie Kemp are joined by Jon Mackenzie of the Athletic to discuss the Champions League quarter-finals (of course, with a heavy focus on the Spanish sides involved).



Starting with Real Madrid’s 3-3 draw with Manchester City, the guys discuss how chaos emerged from a match-up that pits together control versus transitions, the role of Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo in that, as well as what might change for the second leg in Manchester.



After that, attentions turned to the game in Paris where Barcelona registered one of their most memorable victories of the Xavi era. They analyse why his side seem to be at their best in more dynamic games, and highlight some of the key players from Barcelona’s upturn in form since Xavi announced he would step down.



Finally, they finish off with a briefer nod to Atletico Madrid’s win at home to Borussia Dortmund. Although as we know with Diego Simeone’s side, their difficulties on the road this season mean it’s a tie that’s certainly not done yet.

On this week’s episode, Robbie Dunne and Jamie Kemp take a look back at the Copa del Rey final that saw Athletic Bilbao beat Mallorca for their first major trophy in 40 years. After 131 minutes, 43 shots, 62 crosses, 40 fouls involving 34 players, it's hard to know where to begin, but they start with Ernesto Valverde and Javier Aguirre, two dons of Spanish football.



They discuss the general overview of the games, substitutes and why Valverde took off Beñat Prados. They also discuss Nico Williams, Oihan Sancet and a lot more on Athletic Club's brilliant season and squad depth. They finish up chatting about Aguirre's future and Mallorca's fight against relegation. There was a list of potential replacements reported if Aguirre leaves and it includes Diego Martinez, Ruud van Nistlerooy and Eder Sarabia. 

On this week’s episode, Robbie Dunne and Jamie Kemp discuss players who could be on the move to much bigger clubs in the summer. They discuss Robert Navarro's situation at Real Sociedad and where he might fit in along with Jorgen Strand Larsen and Mika Marmol plus more. They also try to find the best fits for these players given the level they're currently playing at. 



They also touch on some Segunda players who have caught the eye from Real Oviedo's two full-backs, Abel Bretones and Viti Rozada, and Alejandro Francés plus podcast favourite, Peru Nolaskoain. 



They also, as ever, have compiled three interesting stats from the weekend's action that caught the eye. From Girona's long and fluid build-up for goals to the return of Real Sociedad's lean and mean defence. They also discuss the emergence of Beñat Prados as a force to be reckoned with in Athletic Club's midfield.