Picking a Combined Barcelona-Real Madrid Clasico XI
It's that time of year again when Spanish football captures the imagination of the world; the buildup to El Clasico, Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, the top two in La Liga.
There's a six-point gap between the sides heading into the Camp Nou battle on Saturday, and both Luis Enrique and Zinedine Zidane know they have to get their team selections spot on if they are to emerge victorious.
Both coaches have great players available to them, but who are the most impressive, in-form and best overall options in each position?
Here's our combined Clasico XI, featuring only those players available for selection this weekend and taking into account form this season as well as their generally perceived level of talent.
GK: Keylor Navas, RMA
Real Madrid's No. 1 gets the nod over Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who has been impressive but is still searching for top form after a couple of years being the cup/European goalkeeper for Barcelona.
Keylor Navas hasn't quite hit the peaks of last season's form after a summer-long injury, but the Costa Rica international is still an immense last line of defence for Los Blancos. His reflexes, handling and improbable reach are all massive factors in Real conceding fewer goals than they otherwise might do.
He isn't always behind the most reliable or consistent back four, but he comes up big when Madrid need him most—and let's face it, they might well do this weekend.
RB: Dani Carvajal, RMA
Sergi Roberto is an excellent right-back, but his game is still being refined in that area; he also has a tendency to lose possession in key areas. There's a big possibility he will emerge as the most complete full-back in Spanish football over the next couple of years, but Dani Carvajal is still ahead for now.
Real's right-back surges forward relentlessly, overlapping down the flank to provide cutbacks from the byline and crosses from deeper areas. He's technically sound, aggressive with his defensive work and positionally reliable, which isn't always something offensive-minded full-backs tend to worry about.
Carvajal is a regular for Spain for a reason, and he gets our approval in the team.
CB: Gerard Pique/Javier Mascherano, both FCB
At centre-back, Real take no such approval. That their most consistent central option is fourth-choice Nacho speaks volumes of their consistency and selection process. Barcelona do have a formidable pairing, though, with Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano among Europe's best when at top form.
As a whole, the Blaugrana haven't been on top of their game of late, but that drop-off hasn't extended to the centre-backs, who remain staunch, aggressive, concentrated and a fine partnership.
Defensively, as well as setting the platform for possession higher upfield, both are immense.
LB: Marcelo, RMA
There's no contest at left-back—not in terms of form, reliability, consistency or longevity. Jordi Alba has plenty of positive traits, but Marcelo matches them and adds his own on top.
Immensely skilful, comfortable overlapping or underlapping, dribbling infield at will and able to take on defenders, Marcelo is almost a perfect modern full-back—with just that obvious, if large, flaw of being defensively suspect. That applies to many of the current generation, though, and it's a drawback managers are willing to overlook if the player offers enough going forward and the balance of the team is right.
Marcelo is among the best and rightfully takes his spot in our team.
DM: Sergio Busquets, FCB
We've opted for a 4-3-3, as that's the system Barcelona use almost exclusively and Madrid used under Zidane until the past month or so. But the defensive-midfield role gives us a conundrum.
Sergio Busquets has been way below his best, while Casemiro has missed most of the season through injury. Toni Kroos, who has been excellent this term, is also injured and will miss El Clasico. Of the former two, it's Busquets we have picked thanks to years of proven service and ability. But make no mistake, Barcelona need him to up his game for this matchup.
CM: Luka Modric, RMA/Andres Iniesta, FCB
No Kroos means the centre is a reasonably easy decision, even if the chosen pair have only recently returned from injury themselves.
Luka Modric gives Madrid tempo and direction to their play; he is aggressive and selfless with his defensive work, and he has one of the best technical sets in La Liga, perhaps bettered only by a team-mate or two and the man we pair him with here—Andres Iniesta.
The Barca No. 8 has been given the all-clear to play and is likely to jump straight back into the XI given the poor midfield display at Real Sociedad last time out. Iniesta can elevate a team to greatness with his first touch, timing of the pass and one-on-one ability in the final third.
RF: Lionel Messi, FCB
Shall we get the numbers out of the way first? Lionel Messi has nine Liga goals from eight starts, averaging a goal every 84 minutes in league play so far this term. He has had off days, but when he clicks, he's unstoppable—as always.
It would be a straightforward choice anyway, but Gareth Bale is injured and Lucas Vazquez isn't even in the same galaxy as Messi.
The No. 10 is without a Clasico goal since the 2013/14 season, five games in all.
CF: Luis Suarez, FCB
We would have gone for Alvaro Morata up front on form this season, but he's another injury absentee, and Karim Benzema has been largely appalling. So it's the out-of-sorts Luis Suarez in our XI, a dead-cert selection anyway on last season or overall ability.
Suarez only has one goal in his last five, but he has a habit of coming good in tempestuous matches and on the biggest of stages—check both for this weekend's fixture.
If a striker decides the game, you wouldn't bet against the Uruguayan being the one to get a decisive touch.
LF: Cristiano Ronaldo, RMA
It's 10 in 10 for Cristiano Ronaldo in La Liga—one goal per 85 minutes of play—so if form continues, we're guaranteed to see a goal each for Messi and Ronaldo on Saturday.
The Portuguese star struggled early on this season after injury, but his recent form has been immense—not just in goalscoring but in overall contribution, whether playing centre-forward or from the flank.
Ronaldo has 10 Clasico goals at the Camp Nou so far, per Marca.
Substitutes
Ter Stegen, of course, takes the goalkeeper spot on the bench. For a full-back, Sergi Roberto beats the left-sided option Alba for both form this season and reliability; Raphael Varane is the pick of Madrid's options at centre-back over Nacho based on overall quality, as well as a recent upsurge in form.
It's one Croatian from each team in midfield: Mateo Kovacic and Ivan Rakitic just edge out Andre Gomes and Rafinha for their combined traits of on-the-ball ability and defensive aggression, despite Rafinha's goals.
Wrapping things up in attack, we go for two star names, though both are still searching for their top level this season: Neymar and Benzema.
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