Barcelona hosts Real Madrid on Sunday in what should be an entertaining Clasico. The Blaugrana has already won the league, but there is still a lot to play for in the weekend Camp Nou clash.
Picking a combined starting eleven is always an interesting yet difficult topic ahead of every encounter. With some of the world’s best players playing for both sides, a number of talented names will be left out.
Nonetheless, we have gone ahead and chosen our combined XI, omitting injured and out-of-form men from the list. Here’s our pick.
Goalkeeper
Navas has shown his quality in the Champions League against Bayern Munich, but in La Liga, his numbers are inferior to Ter Stegen’s. The German has conceded fewer goals (21 to his 29), kept more clean sheets (18 to his six), and has made more saves (91 to his 77). For those reasons, we have gone with the Blaugrana ace.
Full-backs
Marcelo is a no-brainer. Jordi Alba has had a good season, but the Brazilian is on the world’s best left-backs.
On the right side, with Dani Carvajal injured, Sergi Roberto edges out Nelson Semedo in our combined Clasico XI. The Spaniard can defend well and his excellent passing is also key.
Centre-backs
Umtiti has been excellent for most of the season, but a costly dip in form as of late sees him lose the spot to his team-mate, Gerard Pique. The Spaniard remains a composed figure in defense and can score a goal or two on the other end.
Alongside him will be Sergio Ramos, the leader at the heart of Real Madrid. He continues to pick up a red card or two here and there, but he has been more disciplined this season.
Midfield
There are so many talented midfielders. The ones who missed out on our starting eleven – Casemiro, Modric, Coutinho, and Rakitic – are excellent players. However, Busquets’ unrivaled understanding of the game and calmness with the ball is vital.
The same goes for Kroos, whose pinpoint passing wows fans. Iniesta is the last man in the midfield for obvious reasons: he is a legend.
Attack
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