The Double Pivot: Soccer analysis, analytics, and commentary

This is not the full double pivot double secret premium podcast episode about the Champions League, this is just a teaser.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show

This episode begins with a deep dive into Chelsea - Spurs, mourns the top four and title races that were not to be, and then takes a hard right turn into takery with some pointed questions about why the Bundesliga is bad and no one likes it.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show

Want more Double Pivot? We have good news! After that news, the Two Mikes tell you how much to value xGChain and why it's hard to look to numbers for defensive midfielder evaluation. Plus, (sort of) defending Mourinho, busting a Pochettino myth, how to recruit backups for players who are in the XI every week — and more — including a debate about which MCU movie has been the best.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show

The World Cup is coming up and we are ramping up. Early previews of England, Brazil and Spain right in your international earholes. We are, again, foolishly England-curious and perhaps also foolishly Iniesta-dismissive.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show

One day, Manchester United's tactics look brilliant. The next, foolish. So, which is it? The two Mikes examine the differences between an impressive win over Liverpool and a listless Champions League exit at the hands of Sevilla, and whether the Special One's playbook won't work in the current era of world football. Plus, with just Manchester City and Liverpool left in the quarterfinals, is it fair to ask if it reflects poorly on the Premier League? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show

Caley is not happy about the football but he's happy to have his primary, gremlin-free-usb laptop back. He and Goodman talk about Spurs not bottling it against Juventus and the weird, basic, extremely good tactics of Valverde's Barcelona. Can Chelsea beat them? The two hosts slightly disagree. Then a little love for Liverpool before it all ends.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show

PRODUCER'S NOTE: We apologize in advance for a few moments when Caley's audio goes south for a minute or two. It's a free-for-all in the bottom half of the Premier League table, but the two Mikes have some ideas about which clubs are in a lot more trouble than the rest. And they even see a few obvious problems that the clubs themselves aren't doing much to address correctly. Before they roll through all the teams under the threat of the drop, they quickly touch on the two big matches between top six clubs over the weekend, and finish with a spoiler-filled discussion about Black Panther. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show

The home stretch to make the Top 4 in Germany is absolutely bonkers. How bonkers? There were literally hundreds of tennis balls raining from the sky in Frankfurt. Why isn't Dortmund better? Why has RB Leipzig fallen off? Is Eintracht Frankfurt actually this good? The two Mikes ponder these questions (and touch on Schalke and Bayer Leverkusen) before turning their attention to an entertaining clash at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show

Juventus had Spurs on the ropes, and then it all fell apart. The two Mikes break down the first leg of the tie, look ahead to the second, and assess what's working and what's not for each club. Then, they look at the Top 4 race in the Premier League and sort out where it may go from here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show

A fascinating clash at Anfield turned into a referendum on diving and offside rules, but the two Mikes talk about all of it, somehow. Then they turn their attention to whatever the heck is happening to Chelsea right now. No Crisis Conch necessary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show