Overview of Totally Football Show: European Edition
This episode is a wide-ranging weekly tour of European football, with the hosts debating the early shape of the Europa League, Barcelona’s flying start underpinned by another La Masia breakout, big early-season swings in Germany and Italy, and PSG’s uneasy but winning start in France. The show mixes tactical talk, transfer frustration, and a few standout stories about young stars, managerial change, and the politics of Ballon d’Or campaigning.
Europa League: early favorites, open race
The panel kicked off by looking at the Europa League betting odds and the opening fixtures, with some skepticism about the so-called favorites.
- Bookmakers’ early favorites: Juventus and Milan are listed near the top, followed by Bayer Leverkusen, Bournemouth, Celta Vigo, Real Sociedad, Marseille, Palace, Sunderland, and Benfica.
- Key opening matches:
- Benfica vs Milan
- Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar
- Celtic vs Ferencváros
- Real Sociedad vs Bournemouth
- Marseille vs Beşiktaş
- Main takeaway: the hosts repeatedly argued that the competition looks very open and that some of the big-name favorites are not yet convincing.
- Final venue note: the Europa League final will be in Frankfurt, a stadium the panel described as loud and atmospheric.
Germany: Dortmund’s momentum, Bayern’s wobble, Freiburg’s perfect start
Germany got significant airtime, with Dortmund’s form, Bayern’s inconsistency, and Freiburg’s hot start all discussed.
Borussia Dortmund
- Dortmund beat Paderborn 3-0 and remain in excellent early-season form.
- The team are five wins from five, and Niko Kovač’s side look deeper and more resilient than in recent seasons.
- Felix Nmecha scored a brilliant bicycle kick, one of the weekend’s standout goals.
- The panel highlighted Dortmund’s growing squad depth, especially in midfield and defense.
Bayern Munich
- Bayern narrowly got past Elversberg thanks to Harry Kane.
- The hosts felt Bayern are a little off their best at the moment, though still dangerous.
- Kane’s goal marked another milestone in his extraordinary Bayern scoring record.
Freiburg and Gladbach
- Freiburg are one of only two teams on maximum points after crushing Mönchengladbach 5-0.
- Gladbach’s manager resigned after the defeat, with the panel calling the performance unacceptable for a club of that size and history.
Leipzig and Como
- RB Leipzig were thrashed 4-1 by Como in Europe, then bounced back domestically with a 5-0 win over Hamburg.
- The panel praised Cesc Fàbregas’ Como as one of the best-run and best-coached clubs on the continent.
- Leipzig’s defeat was framed as a reminder of how quickly Como are rising.
Spain: Barcelona’s youth wave and Yamal’s Ballon d’Or push
Spain centered on Barcelona’s perfect start, a new academy star, and the increasingly public Ballon d’Or race.
Barcelona’s flying start
- Barcelona beat Levante 4-0 and are now five wins from five.
- The main story was Lamine Yamal, who scored another brace and has been the standout player in Spain early this season.
- The hosts highlighted the latest La Masia talent, Xavi Espart:
- A converted fullback who has quickly broken into the first team.
- Scored his first senior goal for Barça.
- Seen as part of a potentially elite 2007-born generation alongside Yamal and other top prospects.
Ballon d’Or campaigning
- Yamal has been outspoken about his Ballon d’Or chances, effectively saying the race is between him and Kylian Mbappé.
- The hosts noted that this kind of self-promotion has become more common, especially among elite players and their media teams.
- The discussion also touched on Mbappé’s own interviews and campaign positioning.
Other Spanish headlines
- Real Madrid beat Rayo Vallecano 4-0, with Mbappé scoring twice.
- Atletico Madrid beat Real Sociedad 3-0.
- Valencia sacked both their football CEO and manager after a poor start, with the hosts linking the move to a public criticism from Rodri that humiliated the club’s ownership.
- A nod to Racing Santander: striker Yasir Zabiri is one of the surprise performers of the league so far, with five goals in five games.
Italy: Juventus’ attacking issues and more chaos at the top and bottom
Serie A featured two big themes: Juventus looking disjointed, and several clubs reshaping their seasons through dramatic results.
Juventus
- Juventus lost a chaotic game to Sassuolo, with the panel saying the final stages felt like a must-win game in May rather than September.
- Concerns focused on:
- Randal Kolo Muani struggling badly
- Defensive errors from senior players
- A general lack of clarity in attack
- Jonathan David scored his first Juve goal, but it wasn’t enough to change the broader concerns.
- The panel also discussed Juve’s recurring problem of buying strikers who don’t fully solve the position.
Other Serie A stories
- Fiorentina finally got their first win of the season, with a teenage standout scoring a hat-trick in a breakout performance.
- Cagliari are one of the early surprises in Italy, winning three of their first four for the first time since the 1970s.
- Daniele Maldini scored in a Cagliari win, though his weekend was complicated by later off-field reporting about a car crash.
- The panel also briefly touched on how Italy’s top clubs increasingly struggle to develop or retain elite strikers.
Ligue 1: PSG win, but not convincingly
France’s section was driven by PSG’s narrow win and a moving tribute to Brest’s departed manager.
PSG vs Brest
- PSG beat Brest 1-0, but Luis Enrique said it was the most annoyed he has been after a win.
- The team were not especially convincing despite the victory.
- Matvey Safonov made several key saves and was PSG’s standout performer.
- There was also discussion of Ousmane Dembélé and his pointed Ballon d’Or-related comments, which echoed the language used by Mbappé.
Eric Roy tribute
- The match began with a powerful tribute to Brest manager Éric Roy, who died at 58 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
- The tribute included wreath-laying and an emotional speech from his daughter.
- The panel emphasized how extraordinary Roy’s work at Brest was, turning them into a club that reached the Champions League after years in obscurity.
Other Ligue 1 notes
- Monaco had a standout moment from Paris Brunner, whose goal against Strasbourg was described as a “stunner.”
- Paris FC remain unbeaten under Liam Rossini and are being talked about as a serious European-qualification contender.
Key takeaways
- Barcelona’s youth pipeline looks sensational again, with Yamal leading the way and Xavi Espart emerging fast.
- The Europa League feels unusually open, with few teams looking truly trustworthy.
- Dortmund and Freiburg are the early Bundesliga pace-setters, while Bayern still need convincing.
- Juventus’ striker problem remains unresolved, despite spending and a new season.
- PSG are winning, but not fully convincing, and the emotional backdrop in Brest made the weekend’s Ligue 1 action especially poignant.