BARÇA vs ATLÉTI (Feat. Ian Darke)
First meets second in La Liga. It's a three-horse Spanish title race.
This is occasionally—OK, almost never—called El Otro Clásico. It’s a nod to the fact that these two clubs, BARCELONA and ATLÉTICO MADRID, have a shared enemy that they each despise more than their opponent here. Barça’s beef with Real Madrid is the Clásico, while Atléti’s feud with their crosstown neighbors is a proper derby. This match is just a meeting of two of Spain’s great institutions, a fixture that’s spawned wild scorelines and decided league championships. In this case, it’s a meeting of first and second in La Liga, and they’re tied on 38 points.
Joining us to preview the festivities is Ian Darke, the legendary commentator who’s called matches across the world in the Premier League, the Champions League, and the World Cup. American fans might know him as the soundtrack to Landon Donovan’s famous goal against Algeria in 2010, but he’s also called some of the biggest matches in club football—like this one. He’ll be behind the mic for ESPN on Saturday at 3pm Eastern Time, but first he’s here with us to look ahead to the match—and look back on that time he and Steve McManaman stuck around the Camp Nou until 2 a.m. drinking beers with the locals:
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Or check it out on APPLE PODCASTS🍎
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MORE MATCHES
BAYERN MUNICH vs RB LEIPZIG
Fri @ 2:30pm ET, 7:30pm GMT
Let’s be honest: Friday afternoon will not be anyone’s most productive post-lunch period of the year. If you intend to start the holidays early, the Bundesliga has served up a Top Four encounter to welcome you into the festive spirit. Bayern are the cream of the crop so far, four points clear of Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the German tree, and Harry Kane has 14 goals in 12 matches. Add in 5 in 5 in the Champions League, and things start to get really scary, though he’s only just coming back from a hamstring injury.
The Englishman has got a firm eye on that first trophy of his career now, and this is not a bad time whatsoever to run into Leipzig. In fourth place they may be, but Marco Rose is just trying to hang onto the manager’s job after weeks of rumors that the ax is set to fall. Two Bundesliga wins on the bounce have helped, but he’s spent the lead-up to this one making it clear that Bayern should not view his team as title rivals. Clever psychology, or downright fear?
ASTON VILLA vs MAN CITY
Sat @ 7:30am ET, 12:30pm GMT
It has not been the season that the Villans would have hoped for, at least domestically. They’re healthy in the Champions League, but they’re seventh in England and can sometimes look lethargic at the weekend after midweek trips to exotic locales. They’re still just three points off the Top Four in the tightly packed Premier League table, however, and two points off City in fifth.
It certainly has not been the season that the Citizens envisioned, since they can only ever envision one thing. But Pep Guardiola’s side have looked more than mortal—they’ve been torn apart at times—and now they have to go to a place where they lost last season. Villa Park will be a fortress, but is Unai Emery’s side scoring enough goals to damage the champions? Villa have lost three of their last six in the league and scored just seven goals in that span. City have scored the same number in that period and picked up just four points—a horrendous spell—but at some point, they will come roaring back to life.
CRYSTAL PALACE vs ARSENAL
Sat @ 12:30pm ET, 5:30pm GMT
This one just has a vibe about it. These two clubs played in the League Cup in midweek, and Palace took a shock lead at the Emirates Stadium after some diabolical defending from Jakub Kiwior. The Polish center back is unlikely to start this one, to be fair, and besides, Arsenal came storming back through a hat trick from the previously ungoaled Gabriel Jesus.
They ought to be favorites, but this is at Selhurst Park, a real cauldron, and the hosts will be throwing everything at this one as they continue to climb out of the nether regions of the league table. They’re a decent side, Palace, and Arsenal have not been keeping clean sheets and running people over like they did last season. This could be a tumultuous affair.
TOTTENHAM vs LIVERPOOL
Sun @ 11:30am ET, 4:30pm GMT
“Inconsistent” feels like a generous descriptor for Tottenham Hotspur this season. They have turned in some frankly criminal results, and they’ve done it often enough that they sit 10th in the Premier League. But they do seem to get it together for big matches against the big teams, and this is very much that.
Liverpool come to North London top of the league, though hardly infallible, as they’ve dropped four points in two games to erase what some considered a commanding advantage at the top. They need three points here, and even with their more controlled style under Arne Slot this season, they should have the weapons up front to punish Tottenham’s high line. Desperation defending will ensue, and goals will fly in. Liverpool are hunting revenge in this fixture after the VAR criminality that went down in last season’s encounter.
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READS
⚽︎ This Athletic feature on onetime Arsenal up-and-comer Stephen Bradley is worth the read well beyond his account of how he was stabbed over a designer watch as a young midfielder trying to break into the Invincibles squad.
⚽︎ The Athletic has also got a dive into the Friedkin Group’s takeover of Everton Football Club, which may have (once again) delivered the Toffees from some form of financial extinction.
⚽︎ Ademola Lookman is now the Confederation of African Football’s male player of the year, and The Guardian has a look at his acceptance speech inviting everyone to “turn your pain to power.”
⚽︎ The i Paper has a story on Manchester United’s stewards, who are reportedly the latest casualty of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s DOGE scheme for cutting costs at the club. Surely there are bigger-ticket items than £50 bonuses for employees near the bottom of the ladder?
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GEAR
👕 The Classic Football Shirts advent deals continue with this Messi Argentina kit tagged in the front for the 2022 World Cup final against France. Two years ago this week, the little man did the biggest thing.
👕 There’s all kinds of international gear in the sale, including some phenomenal warmup jackets like this one from Ghana or that one for Senegal. Or what about Jamaica?⚽︎