Any Given Thursday

Maxwell Brown & David Blomquist
  • 5.0 (5)
  • SOCCER
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

On Any Given Thursday, football enthusiasts Maxwell Brown & David Blomquist cover all things Europa League & Europa Conference League. Match-day reactions, club spotlights, untold stories, unique narratives — if it happens on a Thursday, we're talking about it. So from Reykjavík to Roma, Zürich to Zagreb, Bodø to Baku, and everywhere in between, join us as we explore European football beyond the oil clubs.

  1. 3 first-time finalists! Villa & Freiburg flourish, Rayo & Palace overpower | Europa & Conference League, Semifinals, 2nd Leg

    4H AGO

    3 first-time finalists! Villa & Freiburg flourish, Rayo & Palace overpower | Europa & Conference League, Semifinals, 2nd Leg

    The final European Thursday of the season has come and gone, and we have two pairs of finalists to show for it! We express our excitement at the spectacle, as 3 of our 4 winners qualified for their first ever major European final (and the 4th, Aston Villa, returns to one after 44 years). First we tackle the Europa League, where Villa dismantled a shoddy and somewhat short-handed Nottingham Forest. Can anyone beat Villa when they're their best? And is Emery just inevitable in this competition? We then discuss how Freiburg handled 10-men Braga, thanks in part to an early red card and the young Swiss #10 Manzambi. In the Conference League, Palace punished a vibrant but naive Shakhtar with ruthless counter-attacking and an experience Rayo Vallecano pressed the life out of the youthful Strasbourg. We explore how both Rayo and Palace controlled their respective games without the ball, each in very different ways, and look ahead to how these styles might clash in the final. Finally, we make our tentative predictions for the showdowns in Istanbul and Wrocław. Cheers to Iñigo Pérez! Timecodes: 00:50 – the start, clubs rotating players ahead of semifinals 7:28 – Aston Villa-Nottingham Forest 21:15 – Freiburg-Braga 34:47 – Quick UEL final thoughts 38:06 – Crystal Palace-Shakhtar Donetsk 50:47 – RC Strasbourg-Rayo Vallecano 01:12:13 – Quick UECL final thoughts 01:16:28 – Are we at risk of English clubs dominating the UEL & UECL?

    1h 30m
  2. Braga bravura, Vallecas vibes, a Palace party, and Forest frustrate Villa | Europa & Conference League, Semifinals, Leg 1

    MAY 2

    Braga bravura, Vallecas vibes, a Palace party, and Forest frustrate Villa | Europa & Conference League, Semifinals, Leg 1

    It was a compelling day of Europa and Conference League football, with 3 of the 4 home sides taking goal-advantages in the 1st leg of the semifinals. Braga strengthened their case as the UEL's team of destiny, delighting their fans with a stoppage-time winner over Freiburg, while Forest edged past Villa 1-0 thanks to Chris Wood penalty. In the UECL, Rayo Vallecano rode a confident 2nd-half display to take a narrow lead into Strasbourg next Thursday, and Crystal Palace impressed with a brutally efficient 3-1 display over Shakhtar. We discuss how each victor earned their results, our level of concern for each loser, and what we think will be different in the 2nd legs. Plus, everyone's favorite – a contentious and bitter takedown of VAR! Hooray! Cheers Oliver Glasner!

    59 min
  3. Braga's breathtaking night in Seville, the English evince their title credentials, & the Italians, well... | Europa & Conference League, Quarterfinals, Leg 2

    APR 17

    Braga's breathtaking night in Seville, the English evince their title credentials, & the Italians, well... | Europa & Conference League, Quarterfinals, Leg 2

    It was another scintillating showcase of Europa and Conference League football Thursday, with more goals abounding. The headline of the night is of course Braga's wild comeback in Seville, where they shocked Real Betis with four consecutive goals to advance. How has Braga become such a resilient group? And what went wrong for Betis? Nottingham Forest squeaked through Porto thanks to a very silly red card and a deflected shot. Are they the 2024-25 Tottenham of this year's competition? Meanwhile, Aston Villa and Freiburg took care of business in impressive fashion. Are they our new favorites to meet in next month's final? Over in the Conference, we witnessed two brilliant comeback attempts, with Strasbourg overwhelming Mainz and AEK Athens falling just short to Rayo Vallecano despite Zine's career night. We also discuss Crystal Palace managing Fiorentina and Shakhtar extinguishing AZ Alkmaar. Finally, we close with some brief thoughts on each eliminated team. What does each club need to do to replicate their European journeys and to go a step further? Cheers to Carlos Vicens (and sub-cheers to Gary O'Neil)!

    1h 22m
  4. English and German prowess, Italian futility, and a UECL goal-fest | Europa & Conference League, Quarterfinals, Leg 1

    APR 13

    English and German prowess, Italian futility, and a UECL goal-fest | Europa & Conference League, Quarterfinals, Leg 1

    We're back for the 1st legs of the Europa and Conference League quarterfinals and we got a jam-packed Thursday full of goals! We tackle all the best action from both competitions, from Forest's improbable draw in Porto to Freiburg's demolition of Celta Vigo, from Fiorentina's humiliation in South London to Shakhtar's shocking late rout of AZ Alkmaar. Plus we answer all of your most pressing questions: How has Urs Fischer turns Mainz around so dramatically, and how did he out-maneuver Gary O'Neil's injury-riddled Strasbourg? What went wrong for Bologna after a promising opening against Villa, and is Jonathan Rowe an emerging star? Could Braga actually upset Betis in Sevilla, and why is Max always so mean to them? All that, a lookahead to the 2nd legs, and of course, a pitstop at David's Coefficient Corner. Cheers to Urs Fischer!

    1h 18m
  5. Europa & Conference League Quarterfinal Previews

    APR 6

    Europa & Conference League Quarterfinal Previews

    We're back to talk Europa and Conference League quarterfinals! In honor of 8 terrific ties kicking off this week, we're breaking down keys to victory for each side heading into Thursday. What does Nottingham Forest need to combat Porto's stellar defensive record and get on the scoresheet? How will Bologna manage Unai Emergy's tactical mastery of the UEL? Can Strasbourg overcome their injury crisis while taking on the suddenly-red-hot Mainz? Can Crystal Palace and Fiorentina get out of their own way as they prepare to face off? All these questions and more answered for you on this week's episode. Cheers to Brad Underwood and Sergej Barbarez!

    1h 10m
  6. Bologna beats Roma, Forest fires back, sparkling Spaniards, and a Featherweight Palace-Fiorentina draw | Europa & Conference League, Round of 16

    MAR 22

    Bologna beats Roma, Forest fires back, sparkling Spaniards, and a Featherweight Palace-Fiorentina draw | Europa & Conference League, Round of 16

    We are BACK! A DR vacation is nice, but it's nothing compared to Europa and Conference League 2nd legs. That's right, we're here to talk all of Thursday's best action beginning with Bologna's surprise triumph in Roma in extra time and Nottingham Forest's comeback quest in Midtjylland (including some unfortunate penalties). We also have lots of praise for the UEL's Spanish offerings in Betis and Celta Vigo, who are hitting their European strides at the right time, and elevate Porto to a top tier contender after a mightily impressive dismissal of Stuttgart. Meanwhile, in the UECL, Palace fails to beat AEK Larnaca in 90 minutes for the THIRD time this season, but both they and Fiorentina do what they do (and squeak through). We discuss how on earth they manage this and what we can expect when these two very movable forces meet each other in the next round. Additionally, we have lots of praise for AZ and AEK Athens, who look like confident sleepers to make a run. We also do an impromptu title power rankings in each competition as we look ahead to the exciting Quarterfinals matchups, assessing which clubs have our confidence and what's changed in the past month. Cheers to Francesco Farioli!

    1h 35m

  7. MAR 2

    Favorites advance, vibrant Vigo, an all-Italian draw, and Fiorentina up to their old tricks | Europa & Conference League, Playoff, Leg 2

    The Playoff Knockout Round is behind us, and we're here to break it all down. It was a day in which favorites prevailed, though not without strife. Fiorentina did a Fiorentina and survived by the skin of their teeth, while Nottingham Forest performed a decent impression for 50 minutes. Elsewhere, Celta Vigo and Stuttgart stake their claim as major players in deciding the Europa League crown, Lille turns things around in Belgrade, Panathinaikos prevails on penalties, VAR drama, and Crystal Palace muddles through. We also take a moment to look ahead to the Round of 16 draw, featuring some stellar matchups in both divisions. All that and much more on today's show! Cheers to Claudio Giráldez!

    1h 21m
  8. Forest and Stuttgart soar, Palace and Lille bore, and Fiorentina restored? | Europa & Conference League, Playoff, Leg 1

    FEB 27

    Forest and Stuttgart soar, Palace and Lille bore, and Fiorentina restored? | Europa & Conference League, Playoff, Leg 1

    We got our first taste of Europa and Conference League knockouts in 2026 and we're here to break down all the action. Nottingham Forest won the day with a dominant display in Istanbul in Vitor Pereira's first match in charge, re-staking their claim as a tournament favorite. Stuttgart, Celta, and Bologna also came through with big road wins to take control of their ties, and we take stock of each's chances moving forward. Meanwhile, Lille put themselves in a major hole against Red Star to cap off a disastrous run in the new year – why can't they score? Next, we turn to the Conference League, where Fiorentina put in an excellent 2nd half performance in Bialystok to boost confidence. Is this finally the start of a turnaround for the relegation-threatened Viola? We also address Crystal Palace's strife after a putrid draw in Bosnia & Herzegovina, wonder at AZ's ugly road form in the competition, and marvel at Celje's striker factory. Finally, we give an update on the Women's Europa Cup , that saw Frankfurt, Häcken, Hammarby, and Sparta qualify for the tournament's inaugural semifinals. Cheers to Igor Štimac!

    1h 19m
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About

On Any Given Thursday, football enthusiasts Maxwell Brown & David Blomquist cover all things Europa League & Europa Conference League. Match-day reactions, club spotlights, untold stories, unique narratives — if it happens on a Thursday, we're talking about it. So from Reykjavík to Roma, Zürich to Zagreb, Bodø to Baku, and everywhere in between, join us as we explore European football beyond the oil clubs.

Information

  • Creator
    Maxwell Brown & David Blomquist
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    170
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026
  • Show Website
    Any Given Thursday

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