Historic Lamine Yamal Hat-Trick & Champions League Showdowns Revealed

Summary

The Rest Is Football (March 3, 2026)

Episode: Historic Lamine Yamal Hat-Trick & Champions League Showdowns Revealed

Hosts:

• Gary Lineker
• Alex Aljo

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Main Theme

This episode dives deep into Barcelona’s latest star, Lamine Yamal, following his historic hat-trick. The panel explores his rapid ascent, Champions League ties featuring English and Spanish teams, Marcus Rashford's prospects at Barcelona, and the latest from La Liga. The dynamic banter, personal anecdotes, and a thorough roundup of Spanish league action make it a rich listen for football fans.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Lamine Yamal’s Hat-Trick & Emergence as a Global Star

(09:36 – 14:31)

• Yamal, at just 18, scores his first senior hat-trick—youngest for Barcelona in 59 years.
• Alex Aljo: “The second goal was unbelievable. He has no right to score from there.” (11:17)
• Yamal reaches 100 goal involvements, achieving this three years quicker than Messi or Ronaldo did.
• Gary and Alex muse on his Messi-like qualities:
  • Gary Lineker: “All three of them are beautiful, but the middle one…wow … it was Messi-esque.” (10:33)
  • He’s already drawing global comparisons due to his play style and impact.
• Debunking criticisms about Yamal’s performances in big games, referencing his display against France at the Euros and vs Real Madrid.
• The panel praises his handling of pressure and maturity beyond his age, with Gary highlighting the dangers of premature hype and the need for resilience:
  • Gary Lineker: “They build you up and sometimes they take joy in knocking you down. But he does appear to have the mentality to deal with it.” (13:30)
• Discussion on natural talent vs. hard work and the fallacy of the “10,000 hours to mastery” rule:
  • Gary Lineker: “The thing about the 10,000 hours is an utter nonsense… you’re not going to turn into Lamine Yamal.” (14:40)

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2. Marcus Rashford’s Situation and Attitude at Barcelona

(04:17 – 09:33)

• Rashford’s game time at Barcelona is reduced due to the outstanding form of Yamal and Raphinha.
• Despite not being first choice, Rashford’s professionalism and positive attitude impress Barcelona—contrast with his criticized time at Manchester United.
  • Alex Aljo: “Barcelona have really liked his attitude… when he’s come on the pitch, he’s delivered.” (05:34)
• Rashford’s peaceful adaptation to life in Spain is emphasized:
  • Gary Lineker: “I found that when I went to Barcelona… they just leave you to your life… nothing compares to how our newspapers are here.” (08:24)
• Candid conversation about toxic UK media coverage:
  • “He’s focusing too much on helping kids have food on their table. I mean, like, it’s a bad thing.” (07:51)
• Talks of a permanent €30 million move to Barcelona, considered a “bargain.”
• Rashford’s contentment and language learning show he’s settling well.

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3. Champions League Draws: Spain vs England

(17:03 – 22:27)

• Both Spanish teams draw Premier League giants:
  • Real Madrid face Manchester City; Barcelona draw Newcastle United.
  • Alex Aljo: “Real Madrid, Manchester City… since Pep Guardiola took over, do you know how many times they faced each other? … That is just crazy, isn’t it?” (17:18)
• The draw’s frequency makes it feel like a league fixture.
• Detailed anticipation for the St. James’s Park atmosphere and the unique European tie for Newcastle fans.
• The story behind Newcastle’s famous tifos (“War Flags” group) and fans’ European aspirations.
• Atletico Madrid v Spurs: potential for an all-Spanish quarterfinal between Barcelona and Atletico.

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4. Atletico Madrid Update & Listener Correspondence

(19:29 – 21:54)

• Atletico defeat Oviedo, with Julian Alvarez scoring the winner.
• Listener Eric, a frequent Atletico watcher, shares sharp notes and humorously admits to changing opinions on Norwegian striker Sorloth, whom he once compared to “a tree”:
  • Alex Aljo (quoting Eric): “I will now dig into yet another serving of Sorloth humble pie.” (21:24)
• Discussion of Hansi Flick’s Barcelona: 100 games, 75 wins, 32 with four+ goals, four domestic trophies.
  • Gary Lineker: “It is incredible what he’s done.” (22:14)

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5. La Liga Round-Up

(22:45 – 25:26)

• Alex Aljo delivers a rapid, detailed roundup:

  • Levante’s Espy scores twice to boost survival
  • Real Sociedad edge Mallorca
  • Athletic draw with Rayo Vallecano
  • Elche and Espanyol share four goals, ending with dramatic red card for Carlos Picquel
  • Seville derby ends in a two-goal comeback for Sevilla
  • Celta Vigo come from behind to beat Girona

• Notable Moment:

  • Gary’s pun about Carlos Picquel’s red card:
    • “He got a second yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct and left his team in a bit of a pickle.” (25:34)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Newcastle fans’ ambition:
  • “They’re all saying we’ll beat Barcelona… going all the way!” – Alex Aljo (03:37)
• On Rashford’s attitude:
  • “He’s coming on and proving his quality… he was criticized at Manchester United, but it seems like he’s really enjoying life at Barcelona.” – Alex Aljo (05:34)
• On Yamal’s maturity:
  • “He just seems to manage it all very well… people have a pop at him, he’s got an ‘I don’t give a [bleep]’ attitude.” – Gary Lineker (13:30)
• On natural talent:
  • “The thing about the 10,000 hours is an utter nonsense… I’m never going to be fucking Gordon Ramsay!” – Gary Lineker (14:40)
• On the joys of football fandom:
  • “You should just be… enjoy this generational talent. Like, we’re so lucky to be watching a player like this.” – Alex Aljo (13:56)
• Classic pun:
  • “He got a second yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct and left his team in a bit of a pickle.” – Gary Lineker (25:34)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Lamine Yamal’s hat-trick & impact: 09:36 – 14:31
• Rashford at Barcelona: 04:17 – 09:33
• Champions League draws/discussion: 17:03 – 22:27
• Atletico Madrid updates & listener feedback: 19:29 – 21:54
• La Liga round-up: 22:45 – 25:26
• Best name of the week pun: 25:34

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Summary

This episode celebrates the rise of a new Barcelona phenomenon in Lamine Yamal and examines the wider context of English and Spanish football clashes in Europe. Gary and Alex blend analysis, personal stories, and wit to dissect what makes a generational talent, the role of attitude and environment, and the thrill of European fixtures. Rashford’s likely permanent move to Barcelona is judged a win for all sides, and the show closes with a zippy tour of La Liga’s weekend drama and a signature football name pun.

Recommended for:
Fans seeking sharp analysis, behind-the-scenes perspective, and joyous appreciation for football’s stars and stories.

Transcript

[Commercial Narrator]

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[Alex Aljo]

Hey, still got my hoodie?

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[Gary Lineker]

In terms of club shirts sold, Barcelona came out on top.

[Alex Aljo]

They still buying your shirt, Gary?

[Gary Lineker]

No, I think it's down to Lamina Mal.

[Alex Aljo]

The second goal was unbelievable. He has no right to score from there.

[Gary Lineker]

Go as good.

[Alex Aljo]

It's 100 goal involvements now. Three years before Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi managed 100.

[Gary Lineker]

Lots of rumors about finalizing that loan with a fee of 30 million.

[Alex Aljo]

Bargain. Since Pep Guardiola took over at City, do you know how many times they faced each other?

[Gary Lineker]

I would guess maybe. I know.

[Alex Aljo]

12, 13.

[Gary Lineker]

Oh, good guess. Hello and welcome to the Rest is football. La Liga episode with Alex Aljo, me, Gary Lineke. And we're recording this on Monday and Real Madrid play on Monday night. So I think predominantly we'll be talking about Boston, Barcelona in this episode. But before we get off to that, I haven't seen you since last week. You went up to Newcastle, obviously, for that thriller.

[Alex Aljo]

Well, I mean, 6:1 lead. 6:1 lead.

[Gary Lineker]

Any interviews that need to carry out after the game or.

[Alex Aljo]

No, I actually had the job of going out at 75 minutes to speak to the Newcastle fans as they were leaving. My question to the Newcastle fans as they were leaving St. James's park was. Who do you want in the. The last 16? Chelsea or Barcelona? And weirdly they were. Well actually maybe not weirdly. They. They all said Barcelona.

[Gary Lineker]

You would, wouldn't you?

[Alex Aljo]

But surely they're more likely to beat Chelsea.

[Gary Lineker]

Yeah, but I don't think that's the point if you're in the Champions League. I mean realistically, Newcastle are not going to win the Champions League. I remember exactly the same. When Leicester were in there. We wanted one of the big boys. You want to play. I mean I know they've already played Barcelona this season, but they want a trip to the camp now don't they want to go and you know, go to Barcelona. It's quite nice in really. So I think. Yeah. And. And it's. It's a glamour tie. Whereas you play Chelsea at least twice a season. Anyway, there's nothing special about it.

[Alex Aljo]

True. And they're all saying we all beat Barcelona. We're going all the way. We're going to win it all.

[Gary Lineker]

The fancy their chances.

[Alex Aljo]

Yeah, they were. They were very confident. The Jordy's. The Jordies were very confident.

[Gary Lineker]

I like that.

[Alex Aljo]

I don't mind the same. I think.

[Gary Lineker]

No. Yeah. I don't think he means it.

[Alex Aljo]

It's deluded. Deluded. Well, we never know. We never know. We never know. Um. Anyway, so we are going back for that game. We'll be at St. James's park next year.

[Gary Lineker]

For Amazon Prime.

[Alex Aljo]

Yeah, for Amazon Prime. For Newcastle. Barcelona, first leg. So yeah, really looking forward to that. Really looking forward to it.

[Gary Lineker]

And they've already played there of course in the Champions League this season when Barcelona.

[Alex Aljo]

Good night for Marcus Ratchet. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No good night for him.

[Gary Lineker]

And actually that leads us nicely into conversation about Marcus, I think because he's not getting many minutes at the moment. But that's because for obvious reasons, Lamine Jamal is playing on the right and Raphinha is playing on the left. And they are two of the best players I would say definitely both in the top five in world football at the moment. So it's understandable which I don't think is a bad thing necessarily for England looking ahead to the World Cup. We'll get at least we'll have one player that's relatively fresh. Whenever he comes on, he does really well. Lots of rumors about finalizing that loan to make it a permanent deal in the last few days and rumors that he's even agreed a contract with Barcelona with a fee of 30 million.

[Alex Aljo]

Bargain.

[Gary Lineker]

I think that'd be a great move for him. Don't you? I mean, I know, you know, at the moment you go, well, is he going to be. Is he in the first 11? Well, maybe even if he's not, it's very much a squad game now. We got a lot of action, a lot of game time. In the first half of the season, you had injuries, obviously, not only to Lamina, but also to Rafinha and times Lewandowski. And he can play probably anywhere across the front three. His best positions, clearly the left, which looks promising for him, really, I would say.

[Alex Aljo]

Yeah. And I think Barcelona have really liked his attitude. You know, the fact that he hasn't been starting week in, week out, but when he's come on the pitch, he's delivered and he's obviously, you know, his head's in the right place, isn't it? He's not moaning, he's not sulking when he's not playing. He's coming on and proving his quality when he's given the opportunity, when he's given the minutes. And he was criticized, wasn't he? He was criticized at Manchester United for his attitude at times, but it seems like he's really enjoying life in Barcelona. He's really happy that he wouldn't. Who wouldn't enjoy life in Barcelona?

[Gary Lineker]

Well, I can speak from personal experience. It's a pretty decent. So it's a marvelous place to live. You plan for one of the. For me, perhaps the biggest club in the world saw a thing recently, actually, in terms of club shirts sold, and Barcelona came out on top. So it's a. It's a great kit. It's a great.

[Alex Aljo]

They still buying your shirt, Gary?

[Gary Lineker]

It's. I think. No, I think it's down to Lamina Male and I think Messi's. His Barcelona shirts still sell millions. It's funny, I had a similar experience in my last season, Barcelona, where I was getting game time, but I was paying out of position by Johan Cruyff. And I understood why, because he had. You were only allowed two foreign players back then, actually in the squad. So I think he wanted his own foreign player. That was pretty clear. But he should have just come to me and say, look, Gary, we, you know, I want my own guys in and we'll get you a good move and I'm fine. But he didn't. He messed me about, put me on the wing and I just actually got on with it and never complained, just did my stuff on the wing. Found it a bit dispiriting. In the end, I got a massive appreciation from the Barcelona fans. Because of that. And whenever I go back now, those that are old enough and you have to be pretty old now to watch me play back then, I always get treated really sympathetically and the Barcelona fans will appreciate that because there are a lot of obviously big egos when you, you're a club like Barcelona and I think fans can get a bit pissed off when players get pissed off themselves publicly. So I think you've got to, you know, and I think he's, he's been really excellent in that and when he's played and this is the important thing, he really has massively contributed to, to what so far looks like being a very promising season for Barca.

[Alex Aljo]

Yeah, no, totally agree. It's just whether Manchester United would quite like him back.

[Gary Lineker]

I think it'll come down to Marks. Obviously there must have been some kind of pre deal that agreed to possible permanent signing. You know, he goes back to Manchester United and he's going to face all the old stuff again, all the old criticisms and oh yeah, you know, he's focusing too much on helping kids have food on their table. I mean, like, it's a bad thing.

[Alex Aljo]

Terrible man. What a terrible man.

[Gary Lineker]

You know, and then they do this bizarre thing that, you know, oh, why is he wearing this, you know, some kind of flashy necklace or something?

[Alex Aljo]

Yeah, just looking for things.

[Gary Lineker]

They don't do that nonsense over there. So he just gets on with his football. It was a fresh start and I would imagine he's really loving it and not getting all the off field nonsense that he gets in this country. And I found that when I went to Barcelona as well, they just, they leave you to your life and they just, they'll blast you if you play, if you play him poorly, if they're having a go. But generally when, I mean, I don't know, it's changed a bit because we've seen things in Madrid a little bit, haven't we, on occasions. But. But it's nothing doesn't compare to, to how our newspapers are here.

[Alex Aljo]

Yeah, yeah.

[Gary Lineker]

Yes, you've got to perform on the pitch, but off the pitch, as long as not absolutely idiotic. No, they'll leave you alone.

[Alex Aljo]

And there hasn't been a bad word said about Marcus Rashford in Barcelona.

[Gary Lineker]

Fans will love that, won't they?

[Alex Aljo]

Yeah. And also it does show he's behaving because everything's caught on social media these days, isn't it? So he's clearly living a good life and enjoying his time out in Barcelona, learning the language. I remember you said he was Having lessons when you went out to see him. So he's clearly settling in well there and enjoying it. So, yeah, good luck to him and I think it would be a great move for him to make it permanent.

[Gary Lineker]

Yeah. Be great to catch up with him again, actually, wouldn't it?

[Alex Aljo]

Yes, yes.

[Gary Lineker]

Have. Have a little chat, hopefully. Maybe if we can get out for the Classico, that'd be brilliant. And do it around then. That brings us obviously to the game. It was a big one. So Vial obviously had a reasonable season in the. In La Liga anyway. Certainly not in the Champions League, but very comfortable. And it brings us to a certain Lamin. It's laminated. He steps in field and pass Mileo Lamina Mal on a hat trick which he delivers his first senior hat trick.

[Alex Aljo]

Yeah. Which is quite. It's sort of hard to believe, but then again, I know you're thinking, why

[Gary Lineker]

is he taking him so long? Hang on a minute. Oh, he's 18.

[Alex Aljo]

I know, I know. Yeah. Youngest ever player to score a hat trick for Barcelona. I think it's been 59 years since someone under the age of 19 scored a hat trick in La Liga. The second goal was unbelievable. He has no right to score from that.

[Gary Lineker]

All three of them are beautiful, but that the middle one. Wow. Cardona looking to try and shepherd him into a less dangerous area. Instead he steps in field and pass Valero Lamin with a stunning second. It was Messi esque kind of goal, really. There's always the danger of comparing him constantly with Messi, which you'll have. He plays for the same team, plays in the same position. I mean, it's almost impossible to compare anyone with Messi. But I think whatever happens is definitely the next coming. He's already a global superstar, but the way he plays is one of those that defies belief when you watch him play, and particularly for one of such a tender age, just a moment of

[Alex Aljo]

magic, wasn't it, that second goal, beating those two defenders, curling it into the top corner just. Yeah, it was a messy escort, wasn't it? And I'm sure he'd take that comparison getting compared to Lionel Messi. It's 100 goal involvements now of him as well. Three years before Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi managed 100 goal involvements in La Liga. So pretty impressive stuff. And. And it's actually a scary thought to think how young he is and what he could go on and achieve, the numbers he could reach.

[Gary Lineker]

I know. It just is one of those players that you. You want to watch Brings people to football and there are not many of. I mean, well, there are one every generation for me, I think. And he could be that. And there are dangers. There are always dange football, whether it's injury or you can lose your way a little bit, or, you know, things can happen in your personal life, and there's all sorts of things you've got to maneuver and manage over many, many years to have a long career. I mean, he's got a confidence, and if I had even a quarter of his ability, I'd have had that confidence. I think he's got a bit of a swagger and he. Yes, he has a bit of fun. He does dancing things. But that's, you know, that's this generation and it's fun. People will use it against him occasionally and it's. But I love watching him play. I mean, he's immensely, immensely talented.

[Alex Aljo]

And he has been criticized. People have said, well, he doesn't show up against the big sides, does he? But I think he's handled the criticism really well.

[Gary Lineker]

Yeah. Did they watch the Euros and that was when he was 16. Do you see what he did to France?

[Alex Aljo]

I know, I know, I know, I know. But of course, there's always going to be people.

[Gary Lineker]

And did they watch the games again against Real Madrid last season? He did pretty well, I thought.

[Alex Aljo]

But I feel that he's just handled it really well. He's clearly very mature for his age and has the right people around him helping him and guiding him through it all, because he's certainly. He lets his football do the talking.

[Gary Lineker]

That's the mad thing about him, isn't he? He's 18 years old and most kids are still at school with Ed living at home and all that, he's probably. He's already providing for his whole family.

[Alex Aljo]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Gary Lineker]

And doing it, I think, generally with a smile on his face. He's got. I. I don't give a attitude, if that's. If I can put it that way, about People have a pop at him. He just seems to manage it all very well. And he'll need to, because when your profile's that big, they build you up and sometimes they take joy in knocking you down. So.

[Alex Aljo]

Yeah.

[Gary Lineker]

But he does appear to have the mentality to deal with it.

[Alex Aljo]

People shouldn't be criticizing. You should just be. Enjoy this generational talent. Like, we're so lucky to be watching a player like this. So, yeah, less criticism, more enjoyment and just, yeah, enjoy. Lamina Mal.

[Gary Lineker]

I know. I mean, the way he finishes as well, when he Comes in on that from the right hand side and it's on his left foot. He just. You just know he's going to find the right finish. He's not really old enough to have learned all this stuff. It just comes so naturally too. I just kind of mouth open aghast at some of the stuff that he does.

[Alex Aljo]

So do you think you're born with a talent like Lamina Mal's talent? Obviously you can work on it and train hard and. But. But he's born with that gift.

[Gary Lineker]

Well, the thing that about the 10,000 hours is an utter nonsense. I. When they said you can do anything really well if you do 10,000, it's a nonsense. I mean, but. But you still need to do.

[Alex Aljo]

Is that how you got good at cooking 10,000 hours?

[Gary Lineker]

I think I've probably done 10,000. But yes, of course it will improve you. But I'm never going to be fucking Gordon Ramsay. I'm not.

[Alex Aljo]

Yes. Anyway, back to Le Me Namal, who's cooking in La Liga.

[Gary Lineker]

Very good like that.

[Alex Aljo]

But yeah, absolutely. Just need to enjoy him. Just need to enjoy him. But it's a gift that he was born with, you know, 10,000 hours. So you're not going to turn into Lavinia Mal, are you?

[Gary Lineker]

No, no. We've got quite a 10,000 hours on this podcast yet, but we'll do a few more minutes after the break. This episode is brought to you by Whoop. In the modern game, of course, there are a lot more games and that feeling of being slightly off by Monday. And that's how it shows up. Not as an injury, it's just fatigue creeping in off the pitch. Everyday life stacks up to work, travel, late nights, early starts. Whoop Helps you see how sleep recovery and stress are impacting your overall health over time. It's like a health scam. Out working quietly in the background. No screen, no constant pings, just deeper insight into your health when you actually need it. Whoop. Makes it easier to see what's helping you stay well and what's taking more out of you so you can build habits that actually last. It's about keeping yourself steady over the long run. Consistency beats intensity every time. If you want to understand your health better and how your daily habits impact you over time, head to join.woop.comtrif to get started with Woohp.

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[Gary Lineker]

welcome back to the Rest Is Football. La Liga episode with Alex Alger Me Garolinica. Interesting draw. The two Spanish sides in the competition, both true English sides, Premier League sides. Alex.

[Alex Aljo]

Yes. It's crazy actually. The Real Madrid, Manchester City situation. So since Pep Guardiola took over at City 2016, do you know how many times they faced each other?

[Gary Lineker]

I would guess maybe, I don't know, 12, 13. Oh, good guess.

[Alex Aljo]

So close. But that is just crazy, isn't it? I think Pep Guardiola came out and said, it is a little bit weird. It's a little bit weird. And in the old format, obviously we love the new format. Promoting the new format. But the old format, they wouldn't have faced each other until the quarters. They only played each other a couple of months ago. But yeah, I mean they're always. It's always a good game, isn't it? But it feels like a league fixture.

[Gary Lineker]

It does. And Barcelona got Newcastle again. We mentioned that. I think that was probably when Barca realized they got a real player that game. And that you'll be doing that one you said for Amazon. So.

[Alex Aljo]

Yeah, looking forward to that.

[Gary Lineker]

That's the atmosphere there. I mean, you've already experienced that this season, but it's different once you get to the knockout stages. Because it's the real deal.

[Alex Aljo]

Yeah, it really is. The atmosphere at St. James's park on European night. I actually spoke to the guys that make the big tifos, you know. Oh, the, the banners.

[Gary Lineker]

Yeah, yeah. The one they made at Newcastle.

[Alex Aljo]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Gary Lineker]

They do a lot of grounds.

[Alex Aljo]

They do, they do. But they make some great ones.

[Gary Lineker]

Who organizes? Did you ask them who? Who organized? Who suddenly goes, right, I'll tell you what, let's get one of these massive tifosi and then we got. Get everyone to buy into holding it. And. And how do you. Who makes the decision?

[Alex Aljo]

Yeah, it's a company called War Flags. They had an Eddie Howe one the other night and Eddie was asked about it post match. They're like, oh, did he like it? He was like, didn't see it? Oh no, didn't see it.

[Gary Lineker]

They made it all that trouble. I'm sure it's been shown its subsequently.

[Alex Aljo]

What banner? What banner? I missed it. So hopefully he'll be looking out next Tuesday night to see whatever they've got in store, but. Yeah, but really good tie that, I think. A shame for Newcastle, they don't have the second leg at St. James's park because it won't be easy going to the new camps. They've just got to try and get a positive result on Tuesday evening.

[Gary Lineker]

Yeah. And that takes us to Atletico Madrid. They've got spurs, another Spain versus England time. And then you've got the potential possible quarterfinal should these Spanish clubs come out on top of Barcelona and Atletico could meet in the. In the last eight. And if that happens, it'd be the sixth time they've played each other this season because they play this week the second leg, which of course Atletico lead by four. Have you got Eric's face? I mean, blimey, they left it late at the weekend, didn't he, against Oviedo, Right?

[Alex Aljo]

Yeah, they did. They did. I. I do have Eric's thoughts. Yeah. He actually said, very kind of athletic to give Oviedo 90 minutes to try and score. They couldn't. Julian Alvarez scored an injury time yet that was the team's only shot on target.

[Gary Lineker]

It's good for him. He needs goals.

[Alex Aljo]

He's not seen La Liga games without a goal for him. And what else did he say? He said Julio Diaz, youth team player number 48 to debut with Cholo. No idea where the other 46 have ended up. He said just Barrios and his son have made athletic. Diaz did well and played a big part in the build up to the goals. But then he says this. He said listening to the manager, he sounds more humble. He's admitting mistakes. He's rotating. He knows it will be judged on the second leg, copper result and the Tottenham tie and a top four finish. But he is singing Sauloth's praises these days. He says he's a big fan. He said for new listeners tuning into the podcast. I'm a massive fan.

[Gary Lineker]

Oh, how fans turn. Oh, there.

[Alex Aljo]

This is the cheek of this. Honestly, the cheek of this. He said hopefully he will start getting all the credit he deserves.

[Gary Lineker]

Welcome to the world of punditry, Eric. This is how it works. Works. You have to change your tune from time to time.

[Alex Aljo]

Exactly. He said. Yeah. On top of his hatchet, he looked very sharp. Press bullied defenders against Club Bruges. He resembled Diego Costa in his prime without the aggro. P.S.

[Gary Lineker]

well, hat trick, of course.

[Alex Aljo]

Yeah, yeah. And then he said, P.S. in the past, I have compared the Norwegian striker's mobility to that of a tree. I will now dig into yet another serving of Sorloth humble pie. So he's obviously regretting a Norwegian pine. A Norwegian pine, Yeah. I like it. Like it a lot anyway, so. Yeah. Massive game. Massive game for Atletico Madrid. When this podcast goes out, it'll be that evening, won't it, at the new camp. The second leg.

[Gary Lineker]

But 40 lead is huge.

[Alex Aljo]

Well, all I'm going to say is the game at the weekend was Hansi Flick's 100th game in charge of Barcelona. 75 wins. And in 32 of those games they scored four goals or more, which is crazy. Stat.

[Gary Lineker]

It is incredible what he's done. I. I mean, I love the way they play. And ultimately the judgment will come on whether he can win a Champions League.

[Alex Aljo]

I think four trophies as well, all the domestic trophies, but it's that Champions League.

[Gary Lineker]

That's the one. Because you can't let Real Madrid just bust that trophy all the time. I don't think Real Madrid likely to win it this season.

[Alex Aljo]

Reyes de Europa.

[Gary Lineker]

Yeah. They call themselves kings of Europe. You know they do.

[Alex Aljo]

Yeah.

[Gary Lineker]

Okay, Alex, time for your customary roundup.

[Alex Aljo]

My roundup. Okay. Carlos Espy's late brace kept Levante's survival hopes alive as they saw off 10 man Alaves. Alaves had Victor Parrada sent off for a second yellow card after 57 minutes and Espy took full advantage. His deflected strike broke the deadlock before he added a second in stoppage time to move Levanthe within four points of safety. Real Sociedad secured a narrow win in Mallorca thanks to Carlos Soler's first half goal. Soler found the bottom corner from the centre of the box in the 36th minute. Mallorca pushed for an equaliser late on with Vedat Marucci heading over and Antonio Orio seeing an effort go just too high. But Real Sociedad held on for the three points. Athletic Club extended their unbeaten run against Rayo Vallecano to nine matches with a one all draw at Vallecas. Rayo took the lead 10 minutes before half time when Frutti George, Jorge De Frutas when Jorge de Frutos fired home at the far post after a var check confirmed Alvaro Garcia had held his run. Athletic levelled less than two minutes into the second half with a volley from Inyaki Williams. Elche and Espanyol played out a thrilling two all draw at the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero Quique Garcia gave Elche a dream start after seven minutes, but Marc Aguado levelled just before half time. Carlos Romero restored Elche's lead and they looked set for three points until Rafa's last gasp penalty denied Elche a vital win. There was more drama in stoppage time as Elche's Carlos Picquel received a second yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct, leaving them to finish with 10 men. Sevilla fought back from two goals down to draw against Real Betis in the Seville Derby. Antony scored his seventh goal of the season to give Betis the lead with a bicycle kick. Alvaro Fidalgo doubled the score just before half time, flicking home Es Abde's perfectly weighted pass with the outside of his boot. Sevilla responded after the break with Alexis Sanchez heading home just past the hour mark before Issac Romero drove a loose ball into the bottom corner in the 85th minute. Celta Vigo came from behind to beat Girona 2 1. Vladislav van Aert headed Girona in front from a corner. Ferrandjhla levelled for Celsa with a brilliant finish into the top corner shortly after the hour mark. Celsa went ahead after Evito Reich turned the ball into his own net while trying to block across. Girona pushed for an equaliser late on, with Claudio Echeverri forcing a superb save and Vitor Reich seeing a shot go just wide in stoppage time. But Celta held on for all three points.

[Gary Lineker]

Brilliantly done. Brilliantly done. Alex, have you got.

[Alex Aljo]

They're getting longer and longer, those roundups.

[Gary Lineker]

Can you guess my name?

[Alex Aljo]

Let me guess.

[Gary Lineker]

He said there's a beauty in there. There's a beauty. I'll tell you now, right? He got. He got a second yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct and left his team in a bit of a pickle.

[Alex Aljo]

Oh, oh. Oh, yeah, Carlos Pickle.

[Gary Lineker]

Exactly. Exactly. Good.

[Alex Aljo]

Love it. Love it. That's our name of the week, then.

[Gary Lineker]

It is. What a way to finish. Goodbye from me, Pickles.

[Alex Aljo]

Goodbye from me.