Change isn't coming. It's already here. Commerce is going digital and tax complexity is multiplying.

Tax rules evolve, rate shift, data floods in. Vertex connects it all. A global tax compliance platform

powered by tax-ready data and intelligence systems.

Smarter tech, continuous tax compliance, built-in confidence.

Learn more at vertexinck.com.

Thank you. Welcome to the Total Soccer Show and our review of the Champions League round of 16 first leg so far.

Hmm, rolls right off the tongue.

Man City made some games with a decent victory over some decent dames.

Real Madrid's progress is looking shrewd after a goal from the man who replaced Jude.

PSG are looking good to cruise into the next round,

where they'll inevitably lose, and Lazio are absolutely cruising after handing Byron, a serious bruising.

My name's Ryan Bailey.

Joining me today, your friend of mine is Taylor Rock, or hello, Taylor.

Hello, my friend.

Your rhyming introductions are always lovely, even if he went with cruise and then also cruising. I was about to call out myself for that. I mean, they weren't in the same couplet. Is that okay? If I knew what a couplet was, I would have thoughts. Let's see if Graham Mother knows what a couplet is. Hello, Graham. Hello, Ryan Bailey. No, I don't. Elaborate. Enlighteners all. What is a couplet? A rhyming couplet is two little cup. Two little cups that sit together and you drink tea from them. You get the big European Cup for the Champions League, in the Europa League. You get the little couplet. And if you win it, Josie Murna gets a tattoo of it. That's how it works. Wonderful stuff. Joe Lowry joining us also. Hello, Joe. Hey, guys. Yeah, we are forever calling the Europa Conference League trophy a couplet from this point forward. Also, Ryan, I would actually like to know what a couple it is. I know it's got to be some like poetic rhyming thing because that's what we were talking about. And I can understand context clues. There it is.

You got it.

You nailed it in one. You got it. No further explanation. I think Ryan also doesn't know what this is. Yeah, that's the vote. I'm getting. Joe, I think like there's a chance that it's two lines of verse usually in the same meter and join by rhyme that form a unit. Oh, yeah. That sounds right, Taylor. I think that that could be it.

I'm not reading dictionary.com at all.

That's just from the hip, my friend, from the hip. Let's get into Champions League, shall we? And away from rhyming verse and dictionary entries. Indeed. As eloquent as ever, Taylor, thank you very much. Before we get those Champions League games, of course, Patreon.com slash total soccer show where you'll find our bonus content.

Thank you very much for everybody who supports us via that medium thus far.

Those people are enjoying bonus videos, bonus podcast episodes, much, much more, including access to our Discord where all the cool kids are hanging out plus us.

We are not in the cool kids group.

...