One World Sports: El Clasico Galacticos and Role Reversal in England




Beyond The Pitch show

Summary: Three special guests join Anto to take a deeper look at the key battles set to play out in the days, weeks and months ahead in Europe as El Clasico takes center stage while old rivals in England appear to have swapped a new future in the absence of Sir Alex Ferguson and a new continental power appears to be rounding into supreme form as the final eight are settled in the Champions League. First up is Kay Murray of BeIN Sport who will return to the Santiago Bernabeu for a Sunday clash that does in many ways seem to reflect the sum of two key changes in La Liga, which begins and ends with the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti who has ushered in a new era at Real Madrid with a huge assist to Ronaldo who has clearly made the transition easier for Gareth Bale than the process for Neymar at Barcelona in year one. We explore the key unintended consequences which are clearly the form of Karim Benzema and Luka Modric who have clearly turned the corner at Real Madrid, performing week in and week out at their highest levels to date in Spain. Then we turn to Graham Ruthven who helps us break down the failures for Manchester United and how Liverpool now appears to be built for longer term success with a clear plan and style established by Brendan Rodgers as a European football is becoming a sure reality in 2014-15. Also explored is the matter of Samuel Eto`o who might just be the one chance that Chelsea has to address its biggest concern in the most pressing moments at the business end of the season as the goals get harder to find and the Cameroon international may just be able to raise his level one more time to deliver silverware. In part three, Kristopher Karlsson from Aftonbladet helps us measure why PSG has moved ahead of Manchester United in the continental arms race, why the project seems to have found more promise in Paris and whether Zlatan Ibrahimovic has found just the right club to taste the European success that has so far eluded him. We also take a deeper look into Liverpool again as a future threat in Europe and whether Swedish legend Henrik Larsson has the right stuff with his new club in Sweden as the Allsvenskan resumes for 2014. We also explore the mystery behind the Kim Källström transfer by Arsenal and whether Arsene Wenger may just retain the midfielder past this loan given his versatility and reputation.