The Totally Football Show with James Richardson

The Champions League returns! + Barca’s 11-game winning run is over

14 snips

Jan 20, 2026

Guest

Seb Stafford-Bloor, a keen observer of German football, joins Italian football expert James Horncastle and seasoned journalist Tom Williams, alongside Spanish specialist Paul Belous. They dive into the thrilling finish of the midweek Champions League matches, highlighting key fixtures like Spurs vs. Dortmund. Real Sociedad's upset over Barcelona ends their winning streak, prompting discussions on La Liga's tight title race. Tribute is paid to Rocco Commisso after Fiorentina's heartfelt win, while Bayern Munich showcases a stunning comeback against Leipzig.

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INSIGHT

Champions League Still Wide Open

The Champions League round is pivotal with two matchdays left and lots still undecided across groups.

ANECDOTE

Foodie Weekends Fuel Travel Choices

Tom Williams describes his annual foodie weekends and contrasts San Sebastian with Seville and Krakow.

INSIGHT

Refereeing Can Shift Game Outcomes

A blatant handball on the line at Augsburg vs Freiburg was only booked yellow and a goal allowed, altering the game's course.

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Jimbo’s got European football friends Pol Ballús, James Horncastle, Seb Stafford-Bloor and Tom Williams alongside him as the Champions League re-enters the room…

We start with those midweek UCL MD7 ties - including the tight battle for a top eight finish with the likes of Tottenham v Dortmund, Marseille v Liverpool and Juventus v Benfica looking finely poised.

In Serie A, there were tributes to Fiorentina owner Rocco Commisso - who passed away on Saturday but left a huge legacy in not only Florence but across the Italian sporting landscape. La Viola honoured him by beating Bologna 2-1 on Sunday to move out of the bottom three.

Over in La Liga, the gap’s been cut to just one point! That’s after Barcelona’s 11-game winning streak was ended by a 2-1 defeat at Real Sociedad. Real Madrid took advantage, beating Levante 2-0 amid a backdrop of boos, whistles and protests in the Spanish capital…

Meanwhile in the Bundesliga, Bayern became the first team in Europe’s top 5 leagues to score 100 goals in all competitions this season as they came from behind to beat Leipzig 5-1 thanks to a second half masterclass from Michael Olise. Plus, what next for Frankfurt after Dino Topmoller was sacked after their latest 3-3 draw?

And over in France - Lens are *still* top of the table thanks to a club-record eight straight Ligue 1 wins. PSG stay a point behind after their 3-0 win over Lille - which featured one of the goals of the season from Ousmane Dembele.

All that plus pinchos, personalised apps - and poor ratings!

Produced by Lucy Oliva.

RUNNING ORDER:

• PART 1: Moments of the weekend - and foodie endeavours (00.45)

• PART 2: Champions League MD7 key fixtures (12.45)

• PART 3: Serie A review - Farewell to Rocco Commisso (27.30)

• PART 4: La Liga review - Suddenly all to play for at the top (45.05)

• PART 5: Bundesliga review - Olise’s masterclass and Frankfurt call time on Dino (45.05)

• PART 6: Ligue 1 review - Lens just keep winning (48.15)

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