There's a shock in goal and no Andres Iniesta in midfield...
Friday 24 October 2014 09:00, UK
Real Madrid host Barcelona in the first El Clasico of the season on Saturday, live on Sky Sports 5 at 5pm. Here, Spanish football expert Guillem Balague picks a combined XI of Real and Barca players. Do you agree with his selections?
Where on Earth to begin when picking 11 players out of two squads that contain a quality and talent that would see them make the starting line-up of just about any other teams in the world?
Needless to say the biggest problem here is not who makes my finest XI, but rather who doesn’t.
Here goes…
My choice for the goalkeeping spot will surprise some, but I’ve gone for Keylor Navas, who has only started once for Real this season, against Elche at home. Navas isn’t necessarily the best at anything but is seven out of 10 at just about everything. Following a great World Cup with Costa Rica, he’s young, he’s sharp and you can see he’s raring to go and for that reason I would put him ahead of the other three keepers. He was the best goalie in La Liga last season, and kept the form in the summer so there is no reason for him not to be chosen.
In defence I have gone for Real Madrid players with just one exception. Let’s start with the centre backs. Sergio Ramos and Pepe are two central defenders that have both received enormous criticism from the fans and the media because they focus on their mistakes. But, for me, Ramos is without question one of the best centre backs in the world, as is Pepe when he is on song. Between them they have formed a great partnership: they anticipate, they are brave, can start the build-up, great at headers, fast…
The only Barcelona player in my defence is Jordi Alba at left-back and I can’t see there being much argument about my choice here. He certainly gets the nod above Fabio Coentrao and Marcelo. When on form - and he has shown flashes this season - he is the ideal full back, going up and down, putting good crosses in, being intense in pressure. At right back I like the young Dani Carvajal very much indeed. He’s getting better with every appearance; he’s a great crosser of the ball, a wonderful defender and, for me, a better all-round player than Dani Alves.
On the left of a midfield three I would put Toni Kroos. Remember what he did in the World Cup for Germany and how he played for Bayern Munich. He can play box-to-box but can also keep the ball. He is also a great passer and, with that in mind, you also have to play him alongside someone who can also pass well, is dynamic and can shoot from outside the box. Ivan Rakitic fits the bill perfectly, even though Xavi might get the nod ahead of him in the Clasico.
Providing the anchor to go with the flair and drive of the previous two is the tireless rock that is Sergio Busquets, certainly one of the best players in the world in that so important holding midfield position. You will have noticed that neither Xavi nor Andres Iniesta has made the cut, and many of you will disagree, but, in my opinion, at the moment these are the best players to have a complete midfield – I have my defensive structure sorted, the balance, but can provide to the forwards, too.
Up front it’s perhaps even more difficult with some of the greatest players in the world not making it into my first XI pick. There’s no Neymar, no Gareth Bale and no Karim Benzema, although all three could very easily slot in as perfect replacements for the three that I have selected.
Luis Suarez comes into my side primarily for his ability to pressure really high up the pitch and his ability to create something out of nothing. He’s mobile, as are my other two players, who you will not be surprised to hear are Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo; three guys that will adapt to every situation, and who would know how to make everything work.
Messi and Ronaldo, especially, have recently changed the way they are playing and for me I can’t begin to imagine a better combination in attack anywhere in the world than these three, with Messi behind Ronaldo and Suarez. Ronaldo prefers to run without the ball, so Leo will fill his boots with assists.
So that’s my Real Madrid-Barcelona Combined XI. You may well disagree, but then isn’t that what makes football the best game in the world? And now for the first Clasico of the season - bring it on!
Our La Liga Weekly Podcast team have also had a go at naming a combined Real-Barca XI.
Jon Driscoll and Terry Gibson have opted for different options to Guillem, with Neymar, Luka Modric, Claudio Bravo and Jeremy Mathieu making the cut.
Download the latest La Liga Podcast to hear the pair discuss this weekend's big game - and the current form of Real Madrid and Barcelona going into the contest.
