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In this football language podcast we look back at some of the language that described the four first-leg quarter finals of the Champions League which are all delicately poised as all eight sides feel they still have a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals. You can read the transcript for this podcast below, while you can also check out our glossary of footballing phrases here and visit our site to access all our previous posts and podcasts. If you have any suggestions or questions then you can contact us at admin@languagecaster.com.
Learn English Through Football Podcast: Delicately Poised – 2024 Champions League Quarter Finals
DF: Hello everyone. You’re listening to languagecaster.com’s football-language podcast – the show for everyone who wants to improve their English and who loves the beautiful game of football. My name is Damian and I am one half of the Languagecaster team – the other of course is Damon who is based in Tokyo, Japan. I’m in London where the weather is a little more spring-like – the sun is shining and the birds are singing – maybe they are excited as we approach the business end of the season! A
Now on today’s show we will be looking back at those wonderfully exciting last-eight first-leg matches in the [2024] Champions League in which all four matches are delicately poised. And this phrase means that none of the games are decided yet – all eight of the teams still think they can qualify for the semi-finals. The phrase ‘delicately poised‘ means that something is balanced but the smallest touch or movement might change this situation. So, for example, in football, none of these ties from the Champions League have been decided yet with all eight sides in with a chance of making the last four. It means that we cannot really predict the winners in any of the matches – or at least with any certainty! So, we will go through each of the four quarter-finalA first legs and choose a phrase that sums up the fact that they are all delicately poised – the ties are all delicately poised.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Spanish).
Vocabulary
So, here are some of the expressions that we are going to look at from each of the four quarter-final ties:
- Far from over
- Hanging in the balance
- Hold a slender lead/advantage
- Nothing to choose between the sides
PSG v Barcelona: Tie is far from overA
Paris Saint Germain hosted Barcelona in their first-leg match on Wednesday and this thriller ended 3-2 to the away side Barcelona; they came from behind to snatch victory but PSG should not be ruled out of the tie just yet. The French side played really well in the first half and will rue their missed chances and as away goals have now been removed from the Champions League, they are still in with a great chance. Remember that a 1-0 win for Paris in the return leg will send the game into extra time. As we cannot really be sure which team will qualify for the last four we can say that this tie is not over or with more emphasis – it is far from over.A
Arsenal v Bayern Munich: Hanging in the balance
Arsenal and Bayern Munich played out a 2-2 draw – it was another really exciting game with both sides having lots of chances to score, while there were also a couple of controversial penalty shouts. Arsenal took the lead but Bayern turned this around (including a penalty from former Tottenham favourite Harry Kane) before Arsenal pegged the visitors back again. Neither team has an advantage so the game is hanging in the balance – it is very delicately poised.
Atlético Madrid v Borussia Dortmund: Hold a slender advantage
DF: Spanish side Atlético Madrid raced into a two-nil lead against Borussia Dortmund and looked as if they would blow away their opponents. However, the German team scored a second-half goal to leave the tie hanging in the balance or delicately poised as the Spanish side only have a one-goal lead when they travel to Dortmund on Tuesday. We can say that their lead is a narrow one or a slender one – slender is similar to thin or narrow – so the lead is not a ‘strong’ one or a wide one. Atlético have a slender advantage (or slender lead) over Dortmund going in to their second leg.
Real Madrid v Manchester City: Nothing to choose between the sides
The last of the four matches saw Real Madrid and holders Manchester City play out a thrilling 3-3 draw (a six-goal thriller). City took the lead then Real Madrid quickly turned the game around before City did the same to them with two stunning long-range shots. But then Madrid equalised again with ten minutes to play with probably the best goal of the game with a volley from Valverde. According to UEFA.com, ‘in the end there was nothing to choose between the sides‘ which means that they could not be separated in the scoreline or in the performance; we cannot say which team will get through in the second leg next week as both sides played well and are at the same level – there is nothing to choose between them.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in French)
Glossary
DB: Yes, you are listening to languagecaster.com, and that message was in French; in fact all of the stingers from today’s show are from European speakers as we look back at the Champions League. We have speakers from Spain, from France and from Catalonia. Remember, that at Languagecaster’s site you can find out more about some of the words and phrases that we have already discussed, along with hundreds more football-language expressions by checking out our football-language glossary. A-BC-DE-FG-HI-K L-NO-QR-ST-VW-Z0-9 https://languagecaster.com/football-language-glossary/
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in German).
Contact
DF: OK, if you have any questions or comments about any of the words and phrases from today or indeed any other football language then drop us an email at admin@languagecaster.com. And you can also look out for us on social media – come along and say hello. We also have a football-language forum where you can ask and answer any questions you have on the language of football. Take a look at some of the posts there, do some of the quizzes, add a comment or a question or simply say hello.
Subscribe to our Podcast
DB: And of course, don’t forget to subscribe to our football-language podcasts. We have recently posted podcasts around the phrases, ‘as it stands’;A ‘the standings‘ and Damon did one on the phrase ‘cameo‘ recently. You can access all of our other football-language podcasts at Languagecaster.com.
Learning English Through Football Podcast
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Catalan).
Predictions
Now, we can’t finish this podcast without giving some predictions for these delicately-poised second legs. Let’s have a look at what both Damon and myself have to say about the upcoming second legs.A
| A | Damian | Damon | Score |
|
Borussia Dortmund v Atlético Madrid |
0-0 | 0-1 | A |
|
Barcelona v PSG |
2-1 | 1-1 | A |
|
Manchester City v Real Madrid |
3-1 | 2-1 | A |
|
Bayern Munich v Arsenal |
2-1 | 1-2 | A |
Damon thinks that Arsenal will win in Germany to go through but as a Spurs fan I am not sure that will happen – 2-1 to Bayern for me. We both think that City will qualify for the last four against Real Madrid – Damon has gone for a 2-1 City victory and I am going for a 3-1 win. We also think that both Barcelona and Atlético Madrid will face each other in the semi-final though Damon thinks Barca will draw 1-1 with PSG, while I think Xavi’s side will win 2-1 on the night and 5-3 on aggregate to set up an all-Spanish semi-final. What do you think of our predictions? Which teams will win through in these delicately-poised ties?A
Goodbye
DF: Don’t forget there’s a transcript for this short podcast with lots of vocabulary support. Come along and have a look. OK, that’s it for this podcast in which we looked at some language from the Champions League quarter-final first legs which are all delicately poised. We heard that the PSG vs Barcelona game was ‘far from over‘; that the Arsenal-Bayern game was ‘hanging in the balance‘; that Atlético Madrid ‘hold a slender lead over’ Dortmund and that ‘there is nothing to choose between’ Manchester City and Real Madrid. Let us know if you hear any of these phrases in any language over the next week or so and of course let us know what you think might happen in these games.A
DF: Enjoy all the football this week and we’ll be back soon with some more football language. Bye bye!
Related Vocabulary
- business end of the season
- played out a 2-2 draw
- came from behind
- to snatch victory
- pegged the visitors back
- play out a thrilling 3-3 draw
- return leg
- turned the game around
