The quarterfinals of UEFA Champions League have not been a rousing success for England's two representatives, though Arsenal's late comeback against Barcelona has given a reason for hope at the end of the mid-week fixtures. On this edition of the EPL Talk podcast, Laurence McKenna, Kartik Krishnaiyer and myself discussion the Champions League results as […]

There's a magic about soccer that sometimes feels like hypnotism. Whenever a goal is scored, it's almost as if everything that happened before it is erased from the person's mind. On Wednesday night, never mind the fact that Arsenal was outplayed for 75 minutes in their Champions League match against Barcelona. Instead focus on the […]

Football truly is a game like no other where minutes can feel like hours and hours can sometimes feel like days. As quickly and powerfully as the ball can be slammed into the net, it's equally as quick that a team's fortune or good form can disintegrate. American Baseball is described as a "game of inches", however, by my decree, football now […]

Who am I to outsmart Arsene Wenger, but I really feel that the Arsenal manager is making the wrong decision to play its typical brand of soccer against Barcelona in the Wednesday night Champions League match at Emirates Stadium. An open game from both sides will be entertaining but it'll be a brutal blow to […]

As a neutral observer, the best thing that could have happened on Tuesday night in the Champions League was for Manchester United to lose. After Wayne Rooney scored one of the easiest goals he's ever scored in the second minute at the Allianz Arena against Bayern Munich, it seemed as if this was going to […]

A gigantic banner covered one end of the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu before the match. On this banner, the Grim Reaper and other scary creatures from movies and stories past sprawled across, and there was a message for their Madrid neighbors to the south, "Noche de Derby. Vuestra Peor Pesadilla." In English, this means, "Derby night. […]

After a mid-week round of fixtures, there is no rest for the weary as another slate of weekend matches comes much more quickly than they would earlier in the year. This last quarter of the year becomes a war of attrition, and those who consistently stay fit will reap the benefits as they take advantage […]

When Sevilla hosted cellar-dweller Xerez on Tuesday evening, an aura of uneasiness surrounded the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. In the front of the Sevillistas' minds was the poor form of their team. An extended run of indolent performances culminated on Saturday evening with a 2-0 debacle against Espanyol, where Sevilla would lose Jesús Navas for a […]

Jornada 28 is only the second mid-week round of the La Liga season, the first occurring well back in late September. Three teams in particular are glad that they get to play so soon: FC Barcelona, Getafe, and Xerez. Xerez? Yes, that same Xerez club that threatened to become the team to secure the fewest […]

While Real Madrid and Barcelona run away from the rest of the field in the struggle for the La Liga title, the tussle for the next four European spots is just as fascinating. The mix of teams truly runs the gamut from the usuals to the upstarts. Sevilla and Valencia continue to be the consistent […]

The draw for the quarter-finals of the Champions League has been made, and there are some delightful matches drawn. Arsenal will play Barcelona – two of the most attractive to watch teams in the world. Manchester United will play Bayern Munich – as a repeat of that great 1999 Champions League Final. Lyon will play […]

The final third of the season commences this weekend with a slate of matches that will likely impact European places more than the title race. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona will face clubs at the bottom half of the table, and barring any catastrophes, they should fend off Sporting Gijón and Real Zaragoza, respectively, with […]

After yesterday's final games in the Champions League round of 16, we now know which teams will be in the hat tomorrow morning to decide who will play who in the quarter-finals. But before tomorrow's draw, I thought it'd be fun to fantasize a little and think about which two teams would be the dream […]

With the advantage of the away goal, Sevilla looked in prime position to advance to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League. Unfortunately, Manolo Jiménez's team played as though they were already in the next round. A 0-0 score line would have sent Sevilla through, and even though Diego Perotti declared that they could not […]

Let me first congratulate Inter Milan on a well deserved victory in the Champions League. In both games against Chelsea, they were the better side and thoroughly deserved to go through to the quarter-finals. As for Chelsea, the storyline involving this team in the Champions League is becoming painfully predictable. As has happened for several […]