Champions League Takeaway: Pep Piles Pressure on Xabi, Back-and-Forth Battles, Juve's System Switch, Arsenal Cruise in Bruges & Everything Else

Champions League Takeaway: Pep Piles Pressure on Xabi, Back-and-Forth Battles, Juve's System Switch, Arsenal Cruise in Bruges & Everything Else

Hello Rank Squad!

It's the second Champions League Takeaway of the week, looking back at Wednesday's action from the sixth Matchday of the League stage. We start at the Bernabeu, where Real Madrid and Xabi Alonso's woes deepened with a 2-1 defeat by Manchester City - could that be the end of the line for the beleaguered boss? We also check in on his former side, Bayer Leverkusen, who drew 2-2 with Newcastle United in an incredibly topsy-turvy encounter.

In Part Two we head to Belgium to look at Arsenal's 3-0 win over Club Brugge which featured a sensational solo strike from Noni Madueke - just the tonic that Mikel Arteta's men needed after suffering their first defeat in ages to Aston Villa at the weekend; as well as looking at Juventus' 2-0 win over Pafos which looks routine on paper, but saw the shift in the system that we've been hoping for from Luciano Spalletti since he took over in Turin.

And in the final part, we round up all the rest of the action - Ajax finally getting their first win on the board in the competition with a spirited 4-2 fightback win over Qarabag in Azerbaijan; Villarreal falling 2-3 to Copenhagen at El Madrigal as the bizarre difference between their domestic and continental form continued; a 2-2 draw in the all-yellow affair between Borussia Dortmund and Bodø/Glimt - with a celebratory milestone for Julian Brandt; Benfica's very impressive 2-0 win over Napoli in Lisbon; and a 0-0 draw between Athletic Club and reigning champions PSG that left much to be desired from both sides.

It's Ranks!

And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?


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Episoder(439)

Champions League Takeaway: Bayern Finally Win at the Bernabeu & Arsenal's Smash and Grab on Sporting

Champions League Takeaway: Bayern Finally Win at the Bernabeu & Arsenal's Smash and Grab on Sporting

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The Truth: How Do You Replace These Outgoing Club Legends?

The Truth: How Do You Replace These Outgoing Club Legends?

It's time for The Truth! Sam and Dougie are back in the studio to take a look at a number of big stars and stalwarts who are departing their clubs this summer after long and/or storied periods of serv...

3 Apr 38min

Ranking the Completed World Cup Groups

Ranking the Completed World Cup Groups

Hello Rank Squad! This international break gave us what we've been waiting for - the final names locked in for this summer's World Cup field. 48 nations have locked and loaded their spots in the bigge...

1 Apr 1h 1min

Ranking Players Under Pressure for the Rest of the Season

Ranking Players Under Pressure for the Rest of the Season

Hello Rank Squad!  As we head into the last international break of the season, we're about to hit crunch time for 2025/26 in all of Europe's biggest leagues. With the end of the season imminent, the p...

25 Mar 1h 9min

The Truth: Who Should Be Player of the Season?

The Truth: Who Should Be Player of the Season?

It's time for The Truth! Sam and Dougie are back in the studio to take a look at the big debate that's beginning to rage on social media, that of who is going to be awarded Player of the Season this y...

20 Mar 41min

Champions League Takeaway: Barça’s 7th Heaven, 50 Up for Harry and Mo, Spurs’ New Grit & Liverpool Spark Into Life

Champions League Takeaway: Barça’s 7th Heaven, 50 Up for Harry and Mo, Spurs’ New Grit & Liverpool Spark Into Life

Hello Rank Squad! It's the second Champions League Takeaway of the week, looking back at Wednesday's action from the Second Legs of the Round of 16 - where the final four teams booked their spots in t...

18 Mar 48min

Champions League Takeaway: Madrid March On, Chelsea’s Bridge Too Far, Arsenal’s Flow Show & Sporting Smash the Fairytale

Champions League Takeaway: Madrid March On, Chelsea’s Bridge Too Far, Arsenal’s Flow Show & Sporting Smash the Fairytale

Hello Rank Squad! It's the first Champions League Takeaway of the week, looking back at Tuesday's action from the Second Legs of the Round of 16 - where our first four quarter finalists booked their s...

18 Mar 58min

The Truth: Who Are The Most Improved Players This Season?

The Truth: Who Are The Most Improved Players This Season?

It's time for The Truth! Sam and Dougie are back in the studio for more of a positive episode - looking at some of the players who have made a major step forward in their individual careers over the c...

13 Mar 40min

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