Man I been itching for this Real Betis match all week. You know how it is when your team’s back at home after a tough season. Just wanted to grab the lineups quick before kickoff, see who Ancelotti trusts tonight.
The Hunt Begins
Checked my phone first thing after work. Opened ESPN app – nothing. Just a stupid countdown timer. Scrolled Twitter for like 10 minutes straight. Found some Spanish accounts talking about it but every single tweet had:
- “DM for full player list” bots
- Links to gambling sites asking for deposits
- Random fan accounts arguing about rumors
Got so fed up I actually googled it like some grandpa. First page? All garbage:
- * wanted me to disable my ad blocker
- Some site called LineupWatch made me sign up with email
- Even Real Madrid’s own site buried it three clicks deep
The Final Straw
Was literally shaking my phone when this popup happened:
“PREMIUM LINEUP ALERTS! Subscribe for €4.99/month”
Slammed my coffee mug down so hard the handle broke. Like holy crap – can’t even see who’s playing without paying now?
Finally found it in the weirdest place – BBC’s second page of search results. Why’d I even bother with apps? Here’s who played:
- Courtois still in goal (obviously)
- Carvajal & Alaba at the back
- Modric starting with Kroos & Valverde
- Benzema up front alone again
Spent two hours hunting this stupid list while my dinner got cold. Now the game’s already halfway through! Worst part? Missed the first goal scrambling for player names. My girlfriend’s laughing at me from the couch saying “You could’ve just watched the starting lineup scroll onscreen like normal people.”
Next time? Screw this. I’m turning my phone off until the whistle blows.