Real Madrid v Barcelona marks the second El Clasico in the space of a week, but which players make it into our combined XI?
Real Madrid vs Barcelona is the biggest fixture in club football – and with good reason.
It’s a derby match between two arch rivals who happen to be the two best club teams in the world.
To add to the extraordinary hype surrounding the game, each team also has a player who is arguably the finest individual star in the world.
In recent years, it has been Lionel Messi holding the trophy aloft at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, but when Barcelona hosted Real Madrid on Tuesday evening, it was Cristiano Ronaldo who shone.
The Portuguese forward scored two goals and led the line tremendously, whilst his Argentine rival was totally subdued by a fantastic team display from Real Madrid.
Combine the teams, and you would have one hell of a side. Check out our combined XI on the following pages:
Goalkeeper:
Iker Casillas
31 year-old goalkeeper Iker Casillas has been at the top of the game for over twelve years, winning the UEFA Champions League just after his 19th birthday.
Since then, he has won almost every trophy in club football as well as international honours for Spain with the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2008 and 2012 victories.
Despite Spain possessing some astonishingly high level goalkeepers over the years in Santiago Canizares, Pepe Reina and Barcelona’s own Victor Valdes – not to mention hot prospects David de Gea and Sergio Asenjo – Casillas has not lost his place in the international side to any of them – and with good reason.
Along with Gianluigi Buffon, he has probably been the most consistent and best goalkeeper over the last decade.
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