The Midfield Battle presented by awaydayz

The group stage is done. Now it gets serious. Episode 48 brings together Ghassen (Tunisia), Ebuka (Nigeria), Issa (Jordan) and Tony (USA) to break down everything before the knockout rounds kick off. We cover team spotlights on USA and Jordan, debate the 48-team format, pick our biggest positive surprises and biggest disappointments so far, and share our hot takes for the knockouts. Plus the big o...

How strong is your football knowledge this time? Another full trivia night, bringing together sharp reactions, deep football memory, bold guesses and plenty of competitive chaos along the way. Stay tuned for a very close race. Hosted by Issa, with Ayushmaan, Essam, Roberto and Sumantro battling it out through different games, and our host showing us why he's paid the big bucks. This episode f...

How strong is your football knowledge this time? Another full trivia night, bringing together sharp reactions, deep football memory, bold guesses and plenty of competitive chaos along the way. Hosted by Essam, with Roberto, Ayushmaan and Issa battling it out to reclaim bragging rights — and Ghassen overseeing things as advertising break manager and number one spectator. This episode features Guess...

How strong is your football knowledge really? This full trivia night episode brings all the games together — quick reactions, deep football memory, bold guesses and plenty of competitive banter along the way. Hosted by Ayushmaan, with Essam, Rakan, Roberto and Sumantro joining the challenge, this session features Guess The Player , The Griddle , The Alphabet Quiz and a closing Tenable bonus round....

How strong is your football knowledge this time ? From Champions League trivia to high-pressure bidding games, this episode turns things up another notch. In our second football trivia special, host Roberto is joined by Anthony, Ayushmaan, Essam, Issa, and new addition Ghassen for five games: Tenable (Champions League edition), Rondo (Football A–Z), Familiar Faces, Lies, and the return of Missing...

How strong is your football knowledge really? From quick-fire trivia to deep-cut football memories, this episode puts it all to the test. In our first-ever football trivia special, host Roberto is joined by Anthony, Ayushmaan, Essam and Issa for five different games — Tenable (Tenaball), Rondo (Football A–Z), 1v1 (Two Clubs, One Player), Career Paths, and Missing Lineups. Bragging rights, pressure...

From Liverpool looking unstoppable to suddenly shaky, Salah vs Slot debates, and Xabi Alonso's start at Madrid, are we reading too much into early-season narratives? Wishlists, first-half surprises, and some bold 2026 predictions to top it off. Plenty to debate in this episode with Ayushmaan, Essam, Rob, and new addition Tony, as we take a step back and ask whether managers are being judged t...

Now Chelsea have breaches too? Shocker. How did our Prem Fantasy Draft start? Who are our Champions League favorites for the season? Plenty to debate in this episode with Essam, Issa, and Rob, as always. Huge thanks to the boys for coming on. As always, if you’re down to talk football, reach out, and let’s talk football. #themidfieldbattle #awaydayz #footballpodcast #soccercommunity #clubworldcup...

Why is it always Chelsea? Is PSG still that team? And who’s really leading the Ballon d'Or race going into the new season? Plenty to debate in this episode with Essam, Issa, Rakan and Rob, as we break down the Club World Cup fallout, transfer rumors, and who’s having the best summer so far. Huge thanks to the boys for coming on. As always, if you’re down to talk football, reach out, and let’s...

Have we been sleeping on Brazilian teams? Are European teams not taking this tournament seriously, are they tired or just simply unable to face these teams and different style of play? Is this tournament a success or just too much? How will it affect the summer transfers? Many questions we asked ourselves in this episode with Ayushmaan, Essam, Issa and Rob, diving into the Club World Cup and the s...

Finally PSG, were they the best team in Europe this season? What if it was Barcelona, not Inter? 6-0? Who will win the 2025 Ballon d'Or? What a season for small teams getting trophies, what's next for Liverpool and Chelsea? Many questions we asked ourselves in this episode with Issa, Rob, and new friends Het and Ayushmaan, recapping the great 24/25 football season. Huge thanks to the boy...

Special one today. Meet Gio Enriquez, Texas born, developed in Dallas, Cincinnati tested, who’s making a name for himself at the highest footballing level in America. Gio’s story is one of pure passion, dedication and grit. Picked up by the FC Dallas Academy, he tore up the pitch in his youth, making his way to NCAA D1 footy where he sharpened his skills as a leader and player.  Now, Gio shares hi...

What's the point of these international breaks? What's the new format for the European competitions? How are clubs and players going to keep up? Essam and Rob talk about all this and more as Champions League is back this week, with a new look. As always, if you’re down to talk football, reach out, and let’s talk football! Instagram: @awaydayz_

What happened to Osimhen? Who had the best transfer window this summer? Who was your favorite signing? These are just some of the many questions we asked ourselves in this episode with Essam, Issa and Rob, recapping the summer transfer market, getting ready for next season with our predictions. Huge thanks to Issa for coming back on. As always, if you’re down to talk football, reach out, and let’s...

Hosted by Essam and Rob, we welcome Juan to the podcast and the awaydayz community, as he shares his love for Salomón Rondón, the Venezuelan national team, and his three clubs of Everton, Barcelona and Houston Dynamo. While still being so young, Juan also goes into his already extensive career so far in the world of sports media. It's all about motivation. Huge thanks to Juan for coming on. A...

Was Spain's convincing win predictable? What nations are looking good for the 2026 World Cup? Where are the world class strikers nowadays? These are just some of the many questions we asked ourselves in this episode with Issa, Nick and Rob, recapping the summer of football from the continental tournaments to the transfer market, getting ready for next season. Huge thanks to Issa for coming ba...

In this episode, Nick gets together with AR and Essam to chat about the Euro Group stage, covering everything from our favorite teams to watch to the most underwhelming performances. We round it out with some knockout stage predictions and some insight into the future while also calling out Roberto for his cheating allegations in the fantasy group. If you're into talking footy, follow us on I...

In this episode we welcome back Ebuka, Issa and Taha, as we discuss the European Championships about to start and share our thoughts on the teams, line-ups and as always, our hot takes. Huge thanks to the boys for coming back on. As always, if you’re down to talk football, reach out, and let’s talk football! Instagram: @awaydayz_

In this episode we welcome back AR, Dom and Nick, as we discuss the outcomes of the European semifinals from all perspectives, and give our early predictions on the upcoming finals. Huge thanks to AR and Dom for coming back on. As always, if you’re down to talk football, reach out, and let’s talk football! Instagram: @awaydayz_

Please help us welcome Dominik Jäger to the pod! Dominik hails from Munich, Germany, and has been a lifelong supporter of Bayern Munich. Like for many Germans, fußball has been Dominik’s passion for as long as he can remember.  In today’s amazing conversation we recount his experiences as a fan during Germany’s 2014 World Cup win, talk about the Bundesliga and German football culture, his expectat...

In this episode Ebuka goes head-to-head with his Prem rivals Arsenal (Nick) and Champions League opponents Real Madrid (Ibo), as we discuss the European season heating up and share our thoughts on the close matchups coming up. Huge thanks to Ebuka and Ibo for coming back on. As always, if you’re down to talk football, reach out, and let’s talk football! Instagram: @awaydayz_

We finally welcome back Issa to the podcast, keen on sharing with us his recent experiences watching his Jordanian national team reach the Asian Cup final in Qatar and his trip to London to see his favorite club, Chelsea FC. Huge thanks to Issa for coming on. As always, if you’re down to talk football, reach out, and let’s talk football! Instagram: @awaydayz_

ST. PATRICKS DAY SPECIAL: Today we welcome Ollie Acomb, a Cincinnati native and longtime supporter of Celtic Football Club- a club rich with history, fierce rivalries, and lore.  In this episode, we get into the history of Celtic and the Old Firm Derby, understand more about the Scottish Premier League, recount FC Cincinnati memories, our fixture/travel wish lists,  and much more. Huge thanks to O...

After a whole year of Ebuka and Ibo, we finally welcome their eagle brother AR, keen on sharing with us his experiences watching games growing up, the family rivalry support for Chelsea vs Arsenal and his intertwined passions for football, travel, photography and fashion. Huge thanks to AR for coming on. As always, if you’re down to talk football, reach out, and let’s talk football! Instagram: @aw...

Today we welcome back Ibo, a Chicago native of strong Albanian roots, keen on sharing with us his passion for Real Madrid, his first time seeing Brazil live and his wishlist for games to watch in the near future. In the end, we had to acknowledge and praise De Rossi's appointment as Roma's new manager and the beginning of his era. Huge thanks to Ibo for coming on. As always, if you’re do...