Beyond the Pitch

This week’s jam packed Utd pod is out! @Malachians @Muppetiers Don’t forget to subscribe wherever you listen 🙏 youtube.com/watch?v=yHLUGR… spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/DjMudDbx0Ob

Roma over the past month: ⚖️ 3-3 vs. Juventus 🚫 2-1 at Genoa ⚖️ 1-1 at Bologna 🚫 2-1 at Como 🚫 4-3 at Bologna and UEFA Europa League elimination ✅ 1-0 at Lecce @scot_munroe takes a look at the Giallorossi's worrying run of form: breakingthelines.com/serie-a-analys…

After a week that saw them lose to Atalanta and Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund have since won each of their last three matches against Köln, Augsburg and HSV. Can BVB make it four wins in a row against Stuttgart? @AndysBetClubUK previews the game: breakingthelines.com/tactical-previ…

Four years ago, Igor Thiago was playing for Ludogorets' reserves. Today, he's the 2nd-top scorer in the Premier League and a Brazilian international. Just what makes the Brentford striker such a special talent? @free__flowing runs the rule over Thiago: breakingthelines.com/premier-league…

Kevin De Bruyne 🇧🇪 sobre lo que vio de Mexico 🇲🇽 y sobre el techo de Mexico en la Copa del Mundo.

Irish fans were dreaming of a first World Cup trip in 24 years after mounting an early two-goal lead vs. Czechia. Instead, they let the lead slip and lost on penalties, leaving Ireland wondering when their next opportunity will come. @ScottBuckley35: breakingthelines.com/irish-football…

"The Champions League isn't a meritocracy. It is the greatest theatre on earth — but theatre and merit aren't the same thing. The sooner we stop pretending otherwise, the more honestly we can appreciate what this competition actually is." @itadorinotyuji: breakingthelines.com/tactical-analy…

For the first time in over a decade, Kenneth Hickey travelled from Ireland to watch an English football match. In his Breaking The Lines debut, @kenny_k75 reflects on his trip to Blackburn, meeting Sean McLaughlin, and the evolution of football tourism. breakingthelines.com/efl-championsh…

"Some players define eras. Others define systems. Antoine Griezmann did something rarer: he became the embodiment of his managers’ ideas. His talent was undeniable, but his legacy is inseparable from the coaches who shaped it. @CalvinBurton_ on Griezmann: breakingthelines.com/ode/the-eterna…

"Football clubs are not startups: they are cultural entities built on history, expectation, and an emotional contract with their supporters. Chelsea's current struggles is a textbook example of what happens when that contract is ignored." @JahvonBarrett: breakingthelines.com/premier-league…

Neymar Jr. is Brazil's all-time leading scorer and second all-time appearance maker, but he hasn't played a single match for Brazil since October 18, 2023. Now, can Neymar force his way into the Brazil squad ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup? breakingthelines.com/world-cup-2026…

Marco Silva has been able to create one of the most tactically flexible sides in the division, which is just as happy to play a patient possession-based style as it is to sit in a narrow deep block and frustrate the opposition. @ben366486451371 on Fulham: breakingthelines.com/tactical-analy…

"Yaya Touré’s peak was undeniable, and the moments he provided matched his status. But those who impacted winning while enjoying fewer stand-out moments often have their careers overshadowed." @CalvinBurton_ takes a look at Yaya's misconstrued legacy: breakingthelines.com/historical/yay…

"The same fans who say football lacks spontaneity are the first to circulate compilations of failed dribbles or misplaced passes when a creative player attempts something ambitious. We claim to want artistry but penalize the cost of it." @JahvonBarrett: breakingthelines.com/opinion/goals-…

One year ago, Liverpool were dominating the competition and zooming towards the Premier League title under Arne Slot. Fast-forward to today, and they sit fifth and are in danger of suffering Champions League elimination to Galatasaray. @aziznahar_: breakingthelines.com/premier-league…

Four decades ago, Carlos Tévez was living in a crime-infested ghetto in Argentina, with his father and best friend being shot dead and his alcoholic mother nearly burning him to death. Fast-forward to today, and he’s living like luxury.

"Carlos Tévez was always an energy bomb. A relentless fighter who had to battle constantly. For his life. Against poverty. Against coaches. And he won. Always." Krisztián Horváth pays tribute to the life and legacy of 'El Apache': breakingthelines.com/historical/car…

Leipzig have won each of their last two matches, and they sit fifth in the Bundesliga, level on 47 points with Stuttgart. Can they leapfrog Stuttgart with a win and go level with Hoffenheim? @AndysBetClubUK previews the game: breakingthelines.com/tactical-previ…

"Coaches talk about 'creating depth' or 'playing into depth,' and fans imagine it as moving toward the opponent’s goal. But that’s the first misconception. Depth isn’t simply about moving forward. It’s about creating possibilities. @keepIT_tactical: breakingthelines.com/tactical-analy…

13 years ago, Cape Verde participated in their maiden Africa Cup of Nations. Today, they're set to become the 2nd-smallest country by land area and the 3rd-least-populated country to play in a World Cup. Just what can we expect from the Blue Sharks? breakingthelines.com/world-cup-2026…

"From Michels to Sacchi to Guardiola to Iraola and Kompany, and back again. A lineage of managers who have shaped the modern game and a direct line connecting them. Tactics don’t die, they reinvent themselves." @BrettFjourno on the circle of tactics: breakingthelines.com/tactical-analy…