The quarterfinal 1st legs are complete!

The Europa League exhilarated with a dramatic Lyon-United affair (on AND off the pitch), while Rangers dug deep for a clean sheet despite playing 80 minutes with ten men. Elsewhere, Bodo kicked the day off with a masterful beatdown of visiting Lazio, and Spurs showed some promise in a 1-1 final with Frankfurt. Goalkeepers were the stars of the show - including one for all the wrong reasons...

In the Conference, the big boys all got wins, though Fiorentina was fortunate against the still-mighty Celje. Chelsea all but sealed a semifinal birth, while Betis continue to establish themselves a true favorite for the title. And lest we forget, Rapid Wien got a massive 1-0 win in Sweden.

All this and a cheers to Rory McIlroy!

But seriously, cheers Kjetil Knutsen!

Our spring break is over, and the Quarterfinals upon us!

That's right, we're down to 8 teams apiece in our favorite competitions, and we're doing a check-in on each club ahead of Thursday's 1st legs.

Who's hot? Who's ice cold? Who do we feel good about (Betis)? Who do we feel bad about (Spurs)? We talk form, players to watch, tactics to watch for, and more - plus some predictions for good measure.

Cheers Manuel Pellegrini!

Our Europa and Conference Quarterfinals are set after the Round of 16 came to a close with a bang.

We had multiple extra times, some sensational performances from tournament big boys, and of course, one of the games of the year, Lugano v Celje.

The Slovenian side became the first to represent their country in a UEFA quarterfinal after a madcap game in Switzerland. Meanwhile, Athletic Club, Frankfurt and Lyon all staked their claim as Europa favorites, United and Spurs continue to advance with the bare minimum, Fiorentina once again finds a way, and some cracks appear in Chelsea's armor.

All that and more on this week's show.

Cheers Albert Riera!

An awesome slate of Round of 16 fixtures is halfway done, and we've got all the juicy gossip for you. Well, the juicy match recaps, anyway.

Join us as we break down all of last week's games and storylines, including late winners for both Rome and Lazio, Rangers' shock in Istanbul, AZ's continued mastery, and Bodo's main character energy in Europa. And over in the Conference, Vitoria and Jagiellonia impress, Celje Cinderellas, and Fiorentina frustrates once again.

All that and much more.

Cheers Barry Ferguson!

Our spinoff show Any Given Bracket is back, and with an all new formula.

Join Maxwell in welcoming Jacob Hill back to the pod, not to talk college, but NBA! We're taking a page out of the Podfather himself Bill Simmons' book and redrafting the class of 2011. It's a strong group highlighted by a number of Hall of Famers, All-Stars, and NBA champions, but also not lacking in the downright bizarre.

Jacob and Maxwell first discuss the draft order, Fran Fraschilla's expert analysis, and Jan Vesely's girlfriend and jump-shot, before moving on to the redraft, where they attempt to build the best possible 8-man roster from the wide array of available talent.

Who's the first and second player off the board? How high will 2011 Mr. Irrelevant Isaiah Thomas go? Will the big-man trio of Enes Kanter, Tristan Thompson, and Bismack Biyombo still all go top 7?? (No.)

All this and more on our 2011 NBA Redraft!

Cheers!

The Playoff Knockout Round closed with a bang.

In the Europa, Bodo wins an instant classic in a win over Twente, a game which featured 3 goals in a span of 5 minutes of added time, Ajax survive a magnificent Saint Gilloise in extra time, a brilliant Dybala sees of Porto, and AZ stake their claim as a proper contender.

In the Conference, Heidenheim experiences heartbreak at the hands of Copenhagen, Shamrock and Vikingur exit cruelly in the tightest of margins, Pafos settles the Cyprus derby, and Celje shocks once again.

We dig into all the games, take a look ahead to the Round of 16 draw, and even work some puns into the mix. Why not?

Cheers Mladen Žižović!

The knockout stages are finally here, and we had a doozy of a 1st leg slate.

In Europa, AZ pummeled Galatasaray, as part of a perfect day for the Dutch sides. Meanwhile in the Conference, Vikingur stunned Panathinaikos, while Shamrock took down Molde in Norway on the backs of a 16-year old debutant.

We'll give you all the insight on those major upsets, as well as the big clubs which rebounded from subpar periods, plus discuss the plethora of game-altering golazos and red cards.

Finally, we look ahead to the 2nd legs and identify which ties may flip on their heads.

Cheers Sölvi Ottesen!

The Knockout Phase Playoff round is upon us in the Europa and Conference Leagues. 32 clubs enter, but only half will advance to their respective Round of 16s, and we're here to break it all down for you.

We discuss each matchup in both competitions, from the star-studded Porto-Roma to the no-less-sexy TSC-Jagiellonia, and everything in between, including an in-form Ajax, a Cyprus on Cyprus matchup, the struggling Spanish sides, and so much more.

We've also got updates on January transfers, star players, youngsters to watch out for, recent form, and all the juicy details you could ask for.

So dive in with us and get yourself prepared for another top-shelf European Thursday.

Cheers Francesco Farioli!