Positive signs for Real Madrid and Liverpool, emphatic starts for Barcelona, Bayern and Manchester United | Champions League Review

Ryan Bailey (0:20)

Welcome to the Total Soccer Show and our review of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League matchday one of the League phase, colon. The phasinging in which we learn Jose's love for Inter is still unbending, especially when they make errors defending. Barcelona made it rain as Rafinha gave Feyenoord some pain. Atletico Madrid took the lead through an attack, but Liverpool were saved by a good old Mac. And Martin Odegaard starred in Napoli's backyard when he hit a shot hard with the power of Asgard.

How about that? My name is Ryan Bailey. Join me today. Hello, Taylor Rockwell. How are you?

Taylor Rockwell (0:57)

I'm well, Ryan Bailey. I love the writing introductions. They're always a lovely way to start the show.

Ryan Bailey (1:02)

Indeed. Thank you very much for joining us, Taylor. Also joining us, Mr. Joe Lowry. Hi, Joe. What's going on with you?

Joseph Lowery (1:09)

Oh, I'm great. Ryan, get to the chase. Introduce the third member. Let's go.

Ryan Bailey (1:12)

Third member's got a little birthday cake out of his shot. It's his big day. 21 today, Graham Rothman. Hello. How are you? Birthday Bosch.

Graham Rothman (1:20)

I was better yesterday, Ryan, when birthday Bosch.

I was better yesterday, Ryan, when I was still young, not middle-aged like I am today. 35, that's the worst birthday so far. I feel like that is the tipping point of me no longer being young, or at least being able to argue that I'm young.

Ryan Bailey (1:36)

I might even got that. The worst birthday so far, I hate to break it to you. It's going to become a theme in your life. I'm so sorry.

Graham Rothman (1:43)

I expect that.

I think 35 and 70 feel like the worst ones to me. Like 35, as I say, 35 is the tipping point where in marketing and commercial circles, they talk about 18 to 34 as being like the youth band. Well, I'm out of that now. I feel like from 35 up until 70, you're kind of like shades of middle-age and then 70-year-old. Those are the two.

Joseph Lowery (2:12)

Isn't it? Do you know how your definitions change over time? Like, Graham, I don't know if that's true for you. When I was young, I don't know, 60 seemed really old and now the older I get and the older the people around me get, the less old that seems.

70 might be that benchmark for me too actually, where that feels like a real milestone in the way that when I was a child, 60 felt like, all right, well, yeah, I mean, count your dates sort of stuff.

Graham Rothman (2:35)

70 is the new 25 That's what they say.

Joseph Lowery (2:37)

Yeah, I've read that as well. Yes, that's true.

Taylor Rockwell (2:40)

When I was coaching 11-year-olds way back when, I think I was like 23 or 24 at the time, and they're like, why don't you have a nicer car? Because I drove a Honda Accord, and I was like, because I don't? And they're like, but you're old, you should have a nice car by now.

Joseph Lowery (2:51)

That was fun.

Taylor Rockwell (2:51)

So I think it's very much a sliding scale of aging.

Joseph Lowery (2:54)

So they did the beep test after that. That's cool.

Taylor Rockwell (2:56)

Exactly, exactly. And we're running for an hour and a half straight.

Have fun.

Joseph Lowery (3:00)

Oh, boy.

Ryan Bailey (3:01)

Yeah, yeah. The power dynamic was on display that day, I'm sure, Taylor. Anyway, congrats, Graham.

Taylor Rockwell (3:06)

Well, I worked in the background, yes.

Ryan Bailey (3:09)

Happy birthday, Graham. Check in a new box on the census form. There you go. New.

Yeah, it's fine. It's fine. I'm a bit older than you. Sometimes the birthdays are fine.

I'll take your word for it. Yeah, all right. Well, if you'd like to celebrate with Graham, why don't you drop him a message? Now, Discord server, you can access it at patreon.com/totalsoccershow.

You're going to get bonus episodes, access to our Discord server and so much more on our bonus ep that we're going to record shortly after this main feed episode. We're talking Ballon d'Or, Ballon d'Or, Ballon d'Or. Sorry, Ruffinia, no room for you today. We're talking Ballon d'Or, but Ruffinia, you'll get your flowers in this episode, no doubt. patreon.com/totalsoccershow. One more thing, by the way, before we get started with the Champions League action, the Athletic Live is on YouTube. It began this week. They did some watch-alongs with the National Football League game on Wednesday evening. Got all these shows going on there. On game days, it's the biggest match up alongside the Athletics most tapped-in reporters. None of us were on it. Don't worry. Don't worry, we're not tapped in.