Throughout Barcelona's two-year run of groundbreaking excellence, Josep Guardiola i Sala role as a tactician tended to be undervalued. He reinstituted the "Total Football" concept that Johan Cruyff, Guardiola's former manager at FC Barcelona, instilled when he was a player and a manager at the club, and he changed the culture inside the dressing room. […]

At the moment the answer would most likely be a resounding "Yes" considering Lionel Messi's torrid scoring run and his great form. However, one would only need to look at Argentina's matches to see how the talented Messi who is widely regarded as the best player in the world becomes just another good player. In […]

Milan were once again guilty of wasting an opportunity to close in on city rivals Inter after the Nerazzurri drew 2-2 in Florence a day prior to Milan's match against Catania. The Rossoneri were determined enough to fight back to earn a 2-2 draw against visiting Catania but the club's response came perhaps a little […]

Barcelona emerged victorious from 'El Clasico' after beating Real Madrid 2-0 in Madrid. This was the first home defeat for Los Galacticos in la Liga and might signal the end of Real's challenge to wrestle away the league title from the Catalan club. Real's defenders looked shaky not only because of Lionel Messi's movement but also due […]

Barca will host Arsenal this week in the return leg of the Champions League as the Spaniards continue their quest to retain their crown as European champions. Barcelona appeared headed to an easy 2-0 victory before Arsenal mounted a comeback to salvage a home draw. The two sides will suffer consequences as a result of the incidents […]

The titans of Spanish football will face off next weekend at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in the traditional El Classico which will carry an even greater importance this time because it could decide the league title's destination. The two clubs are tied on top of la Liga with the same number of points but Los Galacticos are one […]

Since I'm new at EPL Talk, I'd like to talk a little bit more (before I discuss Wednesday's match) about my history as an Arsenal fan. Slowly becoming a soccer fan in college, a 2006 trip to Europe with my girlfriend really cemented my love of the Gunners. Arriving in Paris just days before the Champions League Final, little did I know what would await me. The year before, I had been in Israel during the Liverpool-Milan game. Taking a cursory interest, I sat down with several Israelis who were screaming about how dominant Milan were. As everyone knows, it didn't end up that way. But it was enough to turn me into a soccer fan for life.

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 […]

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 […]

A ridiculous question with what should be a simple answer. First, a cursory investigation. Is Barcelona on top of the standings in La Liga? Yes. Has Barcelona obtained sixty-one points from twenty-four matches, one more point than it had at the same point last season? Check. Does Barcelona have the edge in its UEFA Champions […]

Last weekend's defeat was inevitable given the Catalans were likely to suffer a loss sooner or later with the congested fixture list. The main concern was whether Barcelona would be able to recover after succumbing to Atletico Madrid or if the loss would signal the beginning of a mid-season slump. Barca's answer was emphatic as […]

French star Franck Ribery was a wanted man during the summer yet he ended up staying with Bayern Munich. Ribery was wanted by a number of elite European clubs with Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona all reportedly after his services. Ribery is going through a frustrating season plagued by injuries which have limited […]

The Blaugrana continued their steady march towards retaining la Liga title after defeating Getafe 2-1 at the Camp Nou. The Catalans had two players sent-off as Gerard Pique received his marching orders after 26 minutes with the score 1-0 in Barca's favour. The star for the Barca side was the magical Lionel Messi who scored […]

In a season where the passion and relevance of the English F.A cup have been in question, one team defies the odds and shows a true cup spirit. Of course I am referring to Reading, the team who have become all to familiar to football fans around the world after deservedly knocking out Liverpool in […]

Barcelona have yet to suffer a defeat in la Liga and will complete half of their season's fixtures this weekend. In 18 matches played, the Catalans have won a remarkable 14 matches and drawn the remaining four games. Barca have the best defensive record with a mere 10 goals conceded and have scored a league high […]