Category: UEFA Champions League

Futbol Masterminds – FA Cup Final, Alisson Saves the Day, Barca Crash out of Title Race

by Rhys Desmond, posted in German Bundesliga, Podcast, Premier League, UEFA Champions League, World Football

It was a weekend of football like none other, with two domestic league cups to discuss, new developments in the title races in Spain and France, and a goalkeeper scoring a header in the Premier League. Kausty, Russell, Rhys and new guest Shomik get together to discuss Leicester's stunning FA Cup final win, Dortmund's resurgence in the DFB Pokal and Bundesliga top four race, and Alisson's incredible headed goal. The panel then end off with a discussion about Barcelona crashing out of the La Liga title race, and whether or not Ronald Koeman is to blame. Follow @futbolmasterminds on Instagram to see more of the show and subscribe via Itunes and Spotify!

Why German teams struggle to dominate in Europe

by Rhys Desmond, posted in German Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League

The German Bundesliga, one of Europe’s big 3 professional football leagues, has been anything but collectively dominant in European competitions over the past decade. Although Bayern Munich won the UEFA Champions League in 2019-20, the days of Bayern and Dortmund squaring up in a European final as they did in 2013 appear to be over. This past year Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund were both knocked out of the UEFA Champions League in the quarter-finals, with Leipzig failing to make it past the Round of 16. So if Germany wants to get themselves onto the level of England and Spain, what needs to change?

Futbol Masterminds – Chelsea v. Man City, Juve’s Top Four Hopes, Ligue 1 and La Liga Title Races

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Podcast, UEFA Champions League, World Football

Russell is back(!!), and back in style to discuss all the top European leagues in episode #11 of the Futbol Masterminds show. The panel first delve into Chelsea vs. Man City, Timo Werner and panenkas, before moving to Serie A, discussing Juventus' top four hopes being dashed before their eyes. The panel then give their picks in the respective races for the La Liga and Ligue 1 title, before discussing the potential Ballon d'Or race between Lewandowski and Messi. Follow @futbolmasterminds on Instagram to see more of the show and subscribe via Itunes and Spotify!

2020-21: A year for Canadians in Europe to remember

by Rhys Desmond, posted in German Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League, World Football

As the major European football leagues draw to a close on the men’s side, this year will be a year for Canadian soccer fans to remember. In ways never seen before, Canadian footballers have been right up there with some of the world's best, even playing key roles in top European title races.

UCL / UEL second legs – what we learned this week

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Match Analysis, UEFA Champions League, World Football

In a week that saw Manchester City humble PSG, Chelsea teach Real Madrid a lesson, Manchester United and Roma involved in a 5-goal thriller and Villareal tame Arsenal, we look back at some of the talking points from the second leg semifinals of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.

Who Should Replace Jose Mourinho at Spurs? – Manager Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Managers, Premier League, UEFA Champions League

In the midst of discussions surrounding the European Super League, Jose Mourinho's sacking from Tottenham Hotspur came at a surprising time. The Portuguese manager was set to take on Manchester City in the Carabao Cup Final that very week, a game in which Tottenham ultimately lost under the management of Mourinho's temp - Ryan Mason. Mourinho has moved on in the blink of an eye to AS Roma, while Spurs are still stuck on aspirations of finding their next dream manager, when no dream manager appears to be available. With that, we take a look at some of the potential candidates, what they might offer Spurs both professionally and tactically, and make a final verdict of who should come in to replace Jose before things get very, very desperate.

Futbol Masterminds – UEFA Champions League / Europa League Semi-Finals

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Podcast, UEFA Champions League, World Football

In a week that saw Neymar battered and bruised at the hands of Manchester City, Christian Pulisic dazzle against Real Madrid, and Edinson Cavani terrorize Roma to bits, the UCL and UEL semi-finals did not disappoint. Kausty and Rhys break down all the action from the semis in both competitions, discussing the individual performances of the likes of Neymar, Cavani and Bruno Fernandes, before making their predictions for the second legs. Submit questions and follow the show @futbolmasterminds on Instagram, or on themastermindsite.com. 

UCL / UEL Semi-Finals – what we learned this week

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Match Analysis, UEFA Champions League, World Football

In a week that saw Neymar battered and bruised at the hands of Manchester City, Christian Pulisic dazzle against Real Madrid, and Edinson Cavani terrorize Roma to bits, the UCL and UEL semi-finals threw up a ton of action and intriguing sub-plots. Here is what we learned this week in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League semi-finals.