On this episode of Las Blancas podcast, Om Arvind and Grant Little discuss: The current state of the race for the UEFA Women’s Champions League spots The injuries that affected both starting lineups The chaos and frenetic pace of the opening 20 minutes Analyzing Levante’s press How Real Madrid Femenino regained control of the half Levante’s struggles against Madrid’s high press The inefficiencies in Las Blancas’ possession circuit The high-risk high-reward style of Levante’s build-up The importance of Madrid’s press in creating the opening goal Was Marta Cardona’s spinning backheel pass intentional? The irony of Levante’s equalizer Could Claudia Florentino have done better to stop Esther González from scoring? Whether Esther is the best striker in Spain or not The reasons behind Madrid’s inability to control the second half Thoughts on David Aznar taking Maite Oroz and Teresa Abelleira off for Kosovare Asllani and Thaisa Breaking down the critical mistakes Real Madrid made on the goal in the 93rd minute Marta Corredera’s Jekyll and Hyde performance Sofia Jakobsson’s up and down form Real Madrid TV’s disastrous coverage of the game And much more Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Managing Madrid is a hub for all Madridistas with updated news, op-eds, tactical analyses, artwork, and of course, podcasts. It also serves as a means for Real Madrid fans to connect and discuss the team. We would like your support so that we can continue to produce podcasts for you. The site is run by a small team that works tirelessly around the clock to make it into what it is today. Your contributions will allow us to continue to have a real and full-time presence in keeping this website, and it’s podcasts, going. Hosts this week: Om Arvind (@OmVAsports) Grant Little (@grantlittle09) Las Blancas (@las_blancas) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Matt Wiltse discuss: Real Madrid's starting XI vs Celta Vigo Fede Valverde's role Real's pressing structure Luka Modric's press-resistancy Celta Vigo's press Vinicius Jr's performance Is Toni Kroos and underrated dribbler? Celta Vigo's defense Our performance on the wings 4-3-3 vs 4-4-2 Vinicius's 'chest' chance Breaking down both of Karim Benzema's goals Why was Santi Mina unmarked on his goal? Marco Asensio's performance A discussion on longevity and sports science And more Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon for more bonus content: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast comes in two parts. Part One (Las Blancas post-game with Grant Little and Om Arvind): The current state of the quest to qualify for the UEFA Women’s Champions League Thoughts on Real Madrid Femenino’s and Atlético Madrid’s lineups Some kinks with Real’s high press Olga Carmona being sent off Ludmila’s game-changing ability as an athlete Why Atléti seemed to struggle more against ten players Was Maite Oroz the right player to take off? Debating Maite’s and Teresa Abelleira’s defensive abilities vs. Aurélie Kaci’s and Thaisa’s Why keeping Jessica Martínez on was the right decision Should Laia Alexandri have gotten a direct red for her foul on Jessica? The tactical issues with Atlético Madrid’s left-hand side The impact of José Luis Sánchez Vera’s half-time subs Jessica’s warrior-like display Breaking down the winning goal Sofia Jakobsson’s brilliant finish Praising Marta Corredera Ivana Andrés’ and Claudio Florentino’s performances Deyna Castellano’s second yellow and her rough past couple of weeks Did David Aznar have any other choice but to replace the injured Claudia with striker Lorena Navarro? The team’s togetherness and spirit Real Madrid Femenino are inspiring young girls everywhere Part Two -- 1:16:00 -- (Atalanta 2nd leg preview with Kiyan Sobhani and Jose Perez) How different will Atalanta look in the 2nd leg? What's going on Josep Ilicic? Ilicic vs Zapata Revisiting Atalanta's loss to Inter Milan What are Real Madrid's options without Casemiro? What's the best one out of those options? Key matchups Predictions And more. Join us LIVE on Zoom for the Atalanta post-game show. For access: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast comes in two parts. Part One (Elche Post-game with Kiyan Sobhani, Matt Wiltse, and Om Arvind) Deja deja vu vu The timing of Casemiro's onslaught Apparent lack of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos Fede Valverde and Isco's performances Runs we didn't take advantage of Karim Benzema's missed chance and his overall performance Real Madrid's press What were the needed adjustments at half-time? Eden Hazard's performance Weird sequence of events leading to Elche's goal Raphael Varane's defense Funny Casemiro things Karim Benzema's two goals Formation change in the second half Rodrygo's cameo and what he brings to the table Karim Benzema's numbers Theoretical Ronaldo - Haaland - Benzema attacking trio And more Part Two -- 1:07:33 -- (Castilla Corner with Sam Sharpe and Kristofer McCormack) What Castilla have left to get to the promotion phase Raul's season  The MiPs from this season  Arribas and Park's first team minutes  The pessimistic outlook for cantera players in the first team  Zidane  Preview of the mini-derby  Vinicius  Is it better to stay at Castilla or go out on loan.  And more. Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon for more bonus content: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast comes in two parts. Part One (Atletico post-game with Kiyan Sobhani and Euan McTear) How Atletico Madrid let it slip Is "a tale of two halves" actually accurate Diego Simeone's subs Fede Valverde's impact Marco Asensio and Rodrygo Goes's performances on the wings The return of Kieran Trippier and Yannick Carrasco The gap in hunger between Real and Atleti A breakdown of Atleti's goal Atleti's masterful defensive sequences Isco's omission And more. Part Two -- 56:38 -- (Real Madrid Femenino vs Espanyol post-game with Om Arvind and Grant Little) The current state of the race for Champions League qualification Thoughts on David Aznar's "interesting" starting eleven How the formation hindered Real Madrid's 1st half performance Why "good" vs. "bad" is too reductive when discussing on-ball quality Thaisa and Aurélie Kaci not being the ideal pairing to control the game Describing the first and second goals Jessica Martínez's aerial prowess The third goal The positive impact of the substitutions Real Madrid's mistakes that led to Espanyol's consolation goal Marta Cardona only scores golazos now Updates on Kosovare Asllani's injury Marta Corredera's positive performance and her minutes at right back Has Sofia Jakobsson's form dipped? Ads occurring in the middle of the broadcast The hilarity of RM TV commentators having to recall stats from memory Looking ahead to Atlético Madrid and Levante Grant not paying attention SMH And much more Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Jose Perez discuss: Will Atletico Madrid go 6-3-1 or 4-4-2? Kieran Tripper and Yannick Carrasco -- how important is their return? Is the 6-3-1 actually a good idea? What adjustments will Diego Simeone make from the last Madrid Derby? When will Marcos Llorente's goal-to-xG ratio normalize? How to break Atletico Madrid's low block The important of Toni Kroos The defects of Simeone's scheme Which formation would we rather face as Real Madrid fans? Will Joao Felix start? Real Madrid's starting XI What Fede Valverde brings to the table Holes we can exploit Ferland Mendy vs Marcos Llorente And more. Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast comes in two parts. Part One (Real Madrid 1 - 1 Real Sociedad post-game with Kiyan Sobhani, Matt Wiltse, Om Arvind) Our enjoyment of the game Zinedine Zidane's starting XI Our first half tactics Toni Kroos and Isco Immanol Alguacil's post-game quotes Pressing from both teams Defensive shape of both teams The 'Isco is lazy' narrative Isco's performance Casemiro's role in the 2nd half, and Zidane's explanation for it Casemiro's profile Breaking down Portu's goal Zidane's subs Lucas Vazquez's performance Marco Asensio's performance and best role Luka Modric's performance And more. Part Two — 1:55:00 — (Las Blancas Post-game with Om Arvind and Grant Little) The current shape of the race for the Champions League spots Does Thaisa really add that much more defensively than Teresa Abelleira? How Thaisa in the pivot role instead of Maite Oroz affected Real Madrid Femenino’s build-up The Marta Cardona wonder-goal Om’s spiel on Real Sociedad’s build-up structure and how it beat Madrid’s imperfect press Are Las Blancas good enough against the top 7? Why Real Madrid should have sat back and looked to counter once the press failed Breaking down the positional interchanges behind Real Sociedad’s equalizing goal Kenti Robles’ disappointing performance The underrated importance of Olga Carmona How Real Sociedad’s press resistance led to their second goal The extent of Teresa’s impact as a substitute within the context of La Real ceding control The poor refereeing and the missed penalty Real Madrid’s problem with set-piece defending And much more Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon for more bonus content: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani, Om Arvind, and Matt Wiltse discuss: Hay Liga?! Atletico Madrid's upcoming schedule How can we improve our offensive output? Offensive set-pieces Casemiro's performance Vinicius Jr's performance, decision-making, and efficiency The void of Rodrygo Goes An analysis of the first half Mariano Diaz's performance Valladolid's press Luka Modric's off-ball movement Real Madrid's defense Toni Kroos's statline Ferland Mendy's performance Zinedine Zidane's subs Raphael Varane's performance Would Julian Nagelsmann be a good fit? And more. Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Euan McTear discuss: Why were Valencia so bad? Post-game quotes Ferland Mendy's performance Should Dani Carvajal have started? Should we be worried about him? Toni Kroos's masterclass Should the Casemiro - Kroos - Modric midfield rest more? Luka Modric's fitness The difference between Marco Asensio and Vinicius Jr during this game Karim Benzema's performance Zinedine Zidane's subs Isco's situation And more. Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon for more bonus content: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Om Arvind and Grant Little discuss: Summing up the Saturday Primera Iberdrola action and how it’s affected the race for the Champions League spots Thoughts on the starting lineup and 4-4-2 diamond formation Real Madrid Femenino’s bright start to the half How the 4-4-2 diamond helped Madrid’s ball progression and high pressing Why Marta Cardona and Marta Corredera limited the effectiveness of the team in the first half Is the diamond the long-term solution for Las Blancas? Maite Oroz’s performance as a #10 Reactions to David Aznar’s substitutions and change to a flat 4-4-2 Why the double pivot made it harder for Madrid to resist the press How Real’s high press caused their first goal Kosovare Asllani and Cristiano Ronaldo on free kicks Ivana Andrés’ ‘defensive playmaking’ on the second goal Asllani going into the Avatar state How Aznar’s adjustments directly created the third goal Why Asllani is best as a #10/second striker On what it means to watch the history of the women’s side unfold in real time Real Madrid Femenino being a source of genuine joy in a tough time for Madridistas The significance of Asllani’s unbelievable hat-trick The negatives of Ivana’s ‘defensive playmaking’ on Valencia’s consolation goal Just good vibes And much more Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon for more bonus content: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Matt Wiltse discuss: What happened to Alvaro Odriozola? His performance overall Real Madrid's offense Vinicius Jr's performance Marco Asensio's performance Casemiro's role Toni Kroos's performance Is this his best season ever? Rafa Mir Real Madrid's press xG inflation Raphael Varane's brace Ferland Mendy's performance And more. Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon for more bonus content: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Jose Perez discuss: Zinedine Zidane's pre-game press conference Is the criticism towards Zidane fair? The relationship between Martin Odegaard and Real Madrid Is Isco the biggest winner of the thinning depth? Why did Huesca dismiss Huesca? Pacheta and the 'new manager bounce' Marcelo Bielsa philosophies at Huesca Huesca's high press and low block Lineups for both sides Key matchups And more. Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon for more bonus content: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani, Om Arvind, and Matt Wiltse discuss: The mood Levante's tactics Defensive lapses on Eder Militao's red card What changed after the red card? How David Bettoni could've coped better with the red card Mariano Diaz's positioning Marco Asensio's defensive lapse on the equalizer Alvaro Odriozola's performance Vinicius Jr's performance David Bettoni's post-game quotes Ferland Mendy's performance Levante's 2nd goal Referee decisions And more Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon for more bonus content: Patreon.com/managingmadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Jose Perez discuss: What has changed for Levante since we last played them in October? Levante's latest squad updates Their tactical plan Why Levante are chaotic Key matchups Expected lineups for both teams Jose Luis Morales vs Alvaro Odriozola Levante's press And more. Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon for more bonus content: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Matt Wiltse discuss: Was this..... fun? What were Alaves thinking defensively? Abelardo's defensive scheme Eden Hazard's performance Ferland Mendy's performance His offensive regression Lucas Vazquez's performance Eder Militao's performance Joselu's goal Alaves's half-time subs xG stats and shooting stats Karim Benzema's performance Toni Kroos's performance Bettoni's subs Bettoni memes Bettoni takes on Twitter And more. Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid, Kiyan Sobhani and Jose Perez discuss: Our thoughts on Martin Odegaard's loan deal His fit at Arsenal What's changed for Alaves since we last lost to them in November? How can we break them down? Their form under Abelardo Key matchups Why Lucas Perez and Joselu are dangerous together And more. Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, you get an excerpt from Kiyan Sobhani's upcoming book, and a quick crash course on Real Madrid's best players from Kiyan and Om, including: Their respective Real Madrid all-time XI’s, and their rationale behind their selections How would Di Stéfano do if he was put in a time machine and brought to 2018 while still at his peak? Miguel Muñoz being ahead of his time Gento being a genius Marcelo vs Roberto Carlos The tough choice: Defensive midfielders Revisionist history with certain legends Stylistic comparisons to Di Stéfano Hugo Sánchez being underrated Raúl vs Puskás How far away was Guti with regards to being in the conversation? Real Madrid’s values Who influenced us the most as fans? And a ton more Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Jose Perez discuss: How Marcelino has changed Athletic Club What can they do to improve offensively? Why hasn't Iñaki Williams taken a leap yet? Could Iker Muniain ever play in a double pivot? Will Athletic play in a low block on Thursday? How can Real Madrid break said low block? Will Zinedine Zidane rotate for this game? Can Eden Hazard ever return to his best? Starting line-ups for both teams Key matchups And more. Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon for more bonus content: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani, Matt Wiltse, and Om Arvind discuss: Where does this rank among worst performances in recent history? How much can we blame the weather? Should the game have gone ahead? What should the team have done differently? Osasuna's defense The performances of Marco Asensio and Eden Hazard The lack of a central presence Lucas Vazquez vs Ruben Garcia Casemiro's performance Jagoba Arrasate's post-game quotes about his defense Zinedine Zidane's subs Why did we stop crossing after Mariano Diaz came in? And more. Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani, Matt Wiltse, and Om Arvind discuss: Coudet's work with Celta Celta's tactics Toni Kroos and Luka Modric's positioning and pressing Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez's defensive roles The uniqueness of Real Madrid's defensive shape Why you need to read Jose Perez's previews Why Zinedine Zidane go his tactics right Nacho Fernandez's performance Raphael Varane's performance Casemiro's performance A breakdown of Lucas Vazqeuz's goal Marco Asensio's performance and hot streak Denis Suarez's performance Luka Modric's performance Toni Kroos's performance Lucas Vazquez's performance Dani Carvajal's performance Is Carvajal the best 2-way wingback in the world? Ferland Mendy's performance on the ball The before / after of Iago Aspas's injury What Celta could've done differently Carvajal's niggle Zidane's subs Are we worried about Modric burnout? Best food to eat during a game And more. Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon for more bonus content: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani, Matt Wiltse, and Om Arvind discuss: Zinedine Zidane's starting XI vs Elche Elche's tactical setup What changed at half-time? Why Elche were so impressive Real Madrid's offensive game plan Karim Benzema's performance Marco Asensio's performance Zidane's mistakes Luka Modric's performance Zidane's justifications for second half late subs Why didn't we see Martin Odegaard? Why Odegaard should be a starter Referee decisions Real Madrid players in history who we rooted for but didn't pan out Revisiting the career arcs of Jese Rodriguez, Fernando Gago, Kaka, and Arjen Robben And more Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Jose Perez, Siddharth Ramsundar, and Om Arvind discuss: How Zidane turned things around from the brink of disaster Is Zidane's approach sustainable? Whether the current squad is good enough or whether it need significant retooling Pandemic financials reality check Why Haaland should be the target if Mbappé is too expensive Can Haaland fit in Zidane's current tactical set-up? Can Zidane build a new formula for Madrid's offense? How the pandemic-based decline in pressing makes coaching alternatives to Zidane less viable Siddharth goes to bat for Thomas Tuchel Eduardo Camavinga and the future of Real Madrid's defensive midfield position Why buying Reguilón back is a no-brainer Explaining Hazard's constant injury problems Final projections for Real Madrid in the next decade And much much more Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon for more bonus content: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani, Om Arvind, and Matt Wiltse discuss: Parallels to the Manchester United vs Leeds game Eibar's high press Real Madrid's passing Should Eibar have been less aggressive with their press? Is it easy to shape-shift tactics game-to-game? Dani Carvajal + Lucas Vazquez tandem Sergio Ramos's performance Luka Modric's performance Bryan Gil What happened in the second half? Sergio Ramos's handball Did Zinedine Zidane fix the team's issues? Upcoming rotations And more Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Om Arvind and Grant Little discuss: Thoughts on the starting eleven Thaisa vs. Teresa Abelleira Analyzing Atlético Madrid's high press Real Madrid's documented problems under pressure Babett Peter's, Marta Corredera's, and Thaisa's struggles on the ball Praising Real Madrid's good open play defense Criticizing the poor defending on the conceded goal The handball/s and the poor refereeing Assessing Aznar's second half subs Should Claudia Florentino have come on for Peter for build-up reasons? Taking note of Las Blancas' passion on the field Real Madrid TV's disgraceful coverage of the game Explaining why Real looked better in the last 10 minutes The one weakness in Atléti's defensive set-up How the race for the Champions League spots is shaping up Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani, Om Arvind, and Matt Wiltse discuss: Real Madrid's starting XI The Vazquez + Carvajal tandem Zinedine Zidane's pressing scheme Ferland Mendy vs Marcos Llorente Toni Kroos masterclass Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos An interesting xG map Ferland Mendy's performance Real Madrid's upcoming schedule and rotations Diego Simeone's subs at half-time Zidane's subs Do the players trust Vinicius Jr? Has Vinicius improved over the past two seasons? Which players will retire at Real Madrid? Real Madrid players we don't like Hardcore Arbeloa fans And more. Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon for more content: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices