Derek Rae + Stewart Robson on Der Klassiker 🇩🇪 — and how they do the commentary for EAFC!
The ESPN and EA Sports FC 26 commentary team joins the podcast.
Club football is back and so is Germany’s biggest game. It’s BAYERN MUNICH vs BORUSSIA DORTMUND in Der Klassiker.
The Bavarian hosts have returned to their formidable best with 11 wins from 11 matches across all competitions this season. Bayern have scored 25 goals in six Bundesliga matches, with Harry Kane, Luis Díaz, and Michael Olisé firing on all cylinders. They are once again among the favorites to win the Champions League.
On the other side, the last couple of years weren’t up to Dortmund’s standards domestically as they fell away from what they’ll feel is their rightful place as Bayern’s main challengers. But they now look to have reclaimed that spot from Bayer Leverkusen and are unbeaten in the league, though they’ve relied more on stout defense than explosive attack.
This one’s shaping up well, and joining us to preview the match is the commentary team who will deliver it to American viewers on ESPN at 12:30pm ET on Saturday: Derek Rae and Stewart Robson, who also happen to be the in-game commentators for EA Sports FC 26 — and many previous iterations of the famous franchise formerly known as FIFA!
We got into how they record play-by-play for video-game matches that haven’t happened yet, their travels together across Germany (and shared taste for bratwurst), and much more:
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And a few more matches worth your time this weekend…
NOTTINGHAM FOREST vs CHELSEA
Sat @ 7:30am ET, 12:30pm UK
Honestly, this one could just bring out the popcorn. Forest were the darlings of England last season under Nuno Espirito Santo as they punched above their weight and came very close to Champions League qualification. In the end, they fell away just a bit, and that kicked off a spectacular spin-out.
Now Nuno is gone and Forest are 17th. New manager Ange Postecoglou has yet to win a match. He, too, may be on the chopping block soon enough, so the last thing the Aussie will want to see is Chelsea coming to town. The Blues have hardly been perfect this season, but they did just beat Liverpool and are looking to establish themselves as legitimate title contenders.
CRYSTAL PALACE vs BOURNEMOUTH
Sat @ 10am ET, 3pm UK
A couple of proper Premier League upstarts here, with sixth in the table hosting fourth. Palace were on a 19-game unbeaten run up until they dropped one to Everton going into the international break. The rosy patch culminated with a thrilling last-gasp victory over Liverpool the weekend prior to that.
The Eagles run into another very good team here in Bournemouth, who’ve found a top coach in Andoni Iraola and managed their transfer dealings exceedingly well. Somewhat like Forest last season, the Cherries have maximized what they’ve got with a ferocious, direct style that’s purpose-built for today’s Premier League.
ROMA vs INTER
Sat @ 2:45pm ET, 7:45pm UK
The capital hosts are the surprise package of the season. Roma are tied with Napoli at the top of Serie A thanks in large part to a sterling defensive record. Two goals conceded in six games is a fine start under Gian Piero Gasperini, who came down from Atalanta to prove he’s among Italy’s best managers no matter where he plies his trade.
For their guests, things are less bright and sunny, though Inter are still just three points behind the joint leaders despite losing twice in their opening half-dozen games. With Napoli on the horizon next weekend, the Nerazzuri could really use three points to take home from their trip to the Stadio Olimpico.
TOTTENHAM vs ASTON VILLA
Sun @ 9am ET, 2pm UK
This feels like a fun one. Tottenham have snuck up into third as Thomas Frank’s move across London bears immediate fruit. The Dane is looking to prove he can do it at Champions League level after many fine years at Brentford, and he’s on something like the opposite trajectory of his opponent here.
Unai Emery brought Villa to that UCL promised land, but now they’re struggling with a negative goal difference after seven matches. At least they’ve started scoring a few — a real problem over the first few games — and a win here for the Villans could change everything.
LIVERPOOL vs MANCHESTER UNITED
Sun @ 11:30am ET, 4:30pm UK
England’s grand old rivalry has a different complexion these days with United in disastertown. Ruben Amorim is the latest Red Devil manager swaying in the harsh wind, clinging to his (in)famous 3-4-3 formation as his team plod through this young season. They’re mid-table, to be fair, and a few wins in a row could have them feeling like Tottenham or something.
Are they likely to start the streak at Anfield? Probably not, though Liverpool have been reeling just a bit themselves in recent weeks. Three straight defeats heading into the international break are not what Dr. Arne Slot ordered, and all of a sudden, his team’s dramatic late shows to take all those points early in the season start to look more desperate than dominant. No better way to put all that nastiness in the rearview, though, than beating up on the old enemy.