It all comes down to this.
Flair versus force. Spark versus spunk. Gold versus steel.
Real Madrid versus Atletico Madrid for all the marbles.
Every player dreams of displaying his talents in a Champions League final, the grandest stage for club football, and 22 of the best in Europe take to the platform in Milan on Saturday night.
We’ve come up with a combined XI of the best players from both Madrid sides and here’s what we came up with going off of players’ form this season.
Goalkeeper
It’s a toss-up between Jan Oblak and Keylor Navas as neither has really put a foot wrong this season but, for his consistency in La Liga, we’ve had to plump for the Atletico stopper.
24 clean sheets this season is nothing to sneeze at and, although he has his defence to thank for most of them, Oblak showed against Bayern Munich that he’s constantly switched on and able to spring into action when called upon.
His 95% claim success is also pretty incredible and the Slovenia ‘keeper is our last line of defence. Soz, Keylor.
Defence
We want Diego Godin to captain our team and there can be no arguments or questions about it. He’s an old fashioned centre-half whose courage and heart sums up this Atletico side under Diego Simeone. He doesn’t do anything flashy but the 30-year-old does the basics so well that it’s easy to see why he’s got almost 100 caps for Uruguay.
Partnering the everyman who’s better than every man is Sergio Ramos. The Spaniard has the grit and bullishness that actually wouldn’t be out of place in the Alteti team but he lives and breathes Real. He might be a tad feisty at times but he’s an athletic specimen who deserves a place in the combined XI… He’s not too bad at scoring either.
The full back areas are up for debate because it depends on whether you want the defensive solidity and discipline fostered by Simeone or the attacking éclat of Real. We think that with all of the positivity available from players further up the pitch, the former is what’s required.
Felipe Luis, revitalised since his return to Atletico, and Juanfran are just less liable to be caught out of position and they close out an almost all-Atleti back four.
Midfield
We’ve opted for a three-man midfield and had a tough time whittling Real Madrid’s midfielders down such is the talent at their disposal with Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, James Rodriguez, Isco and Casemiro.
Out of that bunch, we’ve picked Modric as he’s the perfect man to pull the strings in the centre of the park. A better passer of the ball you’d struggle to find and his pass accuracy of 91% sounds about right.
Playing alongside the Croatian is Atletico’s engine room, Koke and Saul Niguez.
Niguez has matured into the complete midfielder and is a soldier for the cause but manages to make the battle look beautiful. He’s an absolute workhorse but the tireless effort he puts into his work is often rewarded with goals, for which the 21-year-old has a keen eye.
Koke is similar to Niguez in that he is technically sublime. The midfielder has a wondrous range of passing and has the vision that has shattered many an offside trap this season.
Attack
There was no doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo was going to start and as beastly as the Portuguese superstar is in La Liga, he outdoes himself on the Champions League stage.
Ronaldo is going to go down as one of the all-time greats and his speed, power, accuracy, heading ability and skills make him the complete attacker.
Cristiano Ronaldo in the Champions League since 2014/15:
Most shots (107) ✔
Most goals (26) ✔
Most assists (7) ✔ pic.twitter.com/EKbt4LhqJ7— Squawka (@Squawka) April 13, 2016
You’ll seldom catch him tracking back but when you’re as lethal a finisher as Ronaldo, you can forgive that.
Playing on the right side of attack is Antoine Griezmann whose flashy style and slight frame make him stand out in this Atletico team chock-full of warriors.
He’s got pace for days and a Lionel Messi-like touch with which the ball seems to stick to his left foot.
And playing up top is Griezmann’s fellow countryman Karim Benzema.
Apart from Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona’s famous front three, Benzema scored the most goals in La Liga and it’s crazy to think that he’s still only 28 years old.
He’s a natural born goalscorer, not like our combined XI lacks goals, and he just beats Gareth Bale to a starting place.
Bench: Navas, Marcelo, Varane, Gabi, Kroos, James, Bale
