MX23RW : Monday, March 10 18:59:26| >> :120:20923:20923:
[monks data]
Attendance: 97,939
Barcelona logo
La Liga
May 6, 2018 at 7.45pm UK
 
Real Madrid logo

2-2

Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')

Combined XI: Barcelona vs. Real Madrid

Ahead of the final El Clasico showdown of the season, Sports Mole selects the strongest combined XI using players from both sides of the divide.

After wrapping up the title with four matches to spare last weekend, the pressure is off Barcelona as they welcome Real Madrid to Camp Nou on Sunday evening.

Barca still have yet to taste defeat in a near-perfect domestic campaign and are now on the brink of going the entire season unbeaten, which has never been achieved by a Spanish side in a 38-game term.

Madrid will be desperate to prevent their arch-rivals from making history, of course, and they are in need of points to claw back Atletico Madrid in second place.

Here, Sports Mole selects a combined XI from those expected to be available for the final El Clasico showdown of the season.


Combined XI: Barcelona vs. Real Madrid

Zinedine Zidane has constantly played down talk of a new goalkeeper being needed, but if rumours are to be believed then Keylor Navas could well be replaced come the end of the campaign. The Costa Rica international has the ability to produce big saves and make howlers in equal measure, whereas Marc-Andre ter Stegen has so often come to the rescue of his at-times-shaky backline and therefore gets the nod.

Right-back has proved to be particularly troublesome for Los Blancos of late, having lost Dani Carvajal and Nacho to injury, leading to Lucas Vazquez - an attacking right-sided player by trade - slotting into the backline against Bayern Munich in the week. Barcelona have alternated between Sergio Roberto and Nelson Semedo, meanwhile, and it is the former who boasts the better figures this term with six assists and one goal in the top flight. On the left the decision is a little easier, as Jordi Alba continues to impress in his sixth season in Catalonia.

Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos have become synonymous with the modern-day El Clasico tussles and are real warriors for their respective sides. Samuel Umtiti and Raphael Varane both have their strengths, but Pique and Ramos remain two of the first names on the teamsheet.

This side is certainly not lacking in creativity, as Luka Modric and Andres Iniesta are both included. Modric has established himself as one of the finest distributors of the ball anywhere on the continent, albeit dropping slightly in quality in comparison to last season, and Iniesta - competing in his final El Clasico match fitness permitting - will go down in history as arguably the most influential Barca player of all time, which is saying something.

The likes of Ivan Rakitic, Philippe Coutinho and Toni Kroos also have their own strengths, but a little balance is needed in the middle and for that you can look no further than Sergio Busquets. The Spain international is still arguably the best in the world at what he does, playing a part in 27 of Barca's 34 league games this term and earning himself a 27th major honour.

As ever, talk regarding Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will dominate the build-up to this latest blockbuster encounter, with both men once again scoring goals aplenty this term. The inclusion of Marco Asensio alongside them would provide some balance, yet the stats that Luis Suarez boasts this term - 23 goals and nine assists in the league - means that he quite simply has to lead the line.

ID:325068: cacheID:325068:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:5786:
Written by
Daniel Lewis
No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Gareth Bale in action for Real Madrid in September 2017
Read Next:
How Madrid could line up against Bayern
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Barcelona26183571254657
2Real Madrid27176457263157
3Atletico MadridAtletico27168344182656
4Athletic Bilbao271310445242149
5Villarreal26128648361244
6Real BetisBetis2711883533241
7Mallorca27107102633-737
8Rayo Vallecano279992929036
9Celta Vigo27106114041-136
10Sevilla279993236-436
11Real Sociedad27104132328-534
12Getafe2789102322133
13Osasuna2671273237-533
14GironaGirona2695123439-532
15Espanyol2576122436-1227
16Valencia2769123045-1527
17Leganes2769122440-1627
18AlavesAlaves2768133040-1026
19Las PalmasLas Palmas2766153045-1524
20Real ValladolidValladolid2744191862-4416


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!