At this stage of the season, El Clasico is nothing more than an opportunity for Real Madrid to take revenge on Barcelona. The reverse fixture saw Barcelona win 4-0 at the Bernabeu. It was only their second loss in the league but saw them start a downward slide to third spot – 10 points behind the Catalan club.
In a league where dropping three points usually sees the title race swing one way or the other, a 10-point gap with eight games to go is virtually impossible to erase. Still, the Clasico is the biggest fixture in club football – one every player from both clubs looks forward to.
So which players from both sides would be selected in a combined XI based on their form this season?
Stats taken from WhoScored. Only La Liga stats have been considered.
Goalkeeper
This position is undisputed this season. After failing to sign David De Gea from Manchester United, Real Madrid had no choice but to persist with Keylor Navas. The Costa Rican goalkeeper was at the airport without any luggage on deadline day and broke down when the deal fell through.
“[It] was one of the worst days of my football career,” Navas said. “I cried near my wife when the transfer window was closed.”
He won’t be crying anymore. Navas has redeemed himself and been one of the Blancos’ most consistent performers this season. With De Gea extending his contract with the Red Devils, Madrid put their faith in him and he did not disappoint.
Time and again he has been the difference between a point or all three. When the defence failed over and over again, Navas came to the rescue. When they conceded penalties, he stood firm and kept them out, setting a record in the process.
And he has not given up even if others have. “We can’t give up, that’s not worthy of Madrid.”
Defence
Neither defence has been up to the mark this season with Atletico Madrid miles ahead in defensive stability at the back. Barcelona’s centre-back pairing has changed with every other game with Javier Mascherano and Jeremy Mathieu partnering Gerard Pique. Hence, only the Catalan centre-back gets the nod.
For Real Madrid, Sergio Ramos has been the only constant in defence and the captain is one of the most valuable leaders on the pitch. The two have partnered at the back for Spain as well and they feature in this XI. Though they have had their differences every now and then, there is no better pair to play in this team.
The full-backs is a bigger question. Dani Alves is on the decline and is no longer the once feared attacking right-back who dominated Europe for years. Some of his performances in the league have come in for criticism and we even saw Luis Enrique haul him off the pitch in the match against Levante. On the other hand, Dani Carvajal has played lesser games than Alves and still created more chances and has twice the key passes as Alves.
Jordi Alba has also been found wanting tactically having made a few mistakes himself. Pace is his weapon of choice but he is largely ineffective against organised teams.
Therefore, Marcelo, who has been in fine form when available, takes up the left-back slot. The Brazilian is effective at both ends of the pitch for Real Madrid. Comparing a few key stats alone, Marcelo has won almost twice the tackles as Alba while also creating 27 more chances in roughly the same minutes.
Midfield
As much as MSN have been responsible for Barcelona’s success since last season, the midfield is still the bedrock of any Barca side. Sergio Busquets walks into this lineup as the central defensive midfielder with no real competition in the whole of La Liga, let alone Madrid.
He’s not alone, though. Ivan Rakitic has been sensational ever since arriving at the Camp Nou and he adds a certain steely nature in both attack and winning the ball back – be it through tackles or interceptions.
Real Madrid’s ever-changing midfield has been pointed out as one of the reasons for their struggles this season. While Casemiro’s erratic and sometimes irresponsible performances have seen him pushed to the periphery, Toni Kroos seems to be just a stat-padder this season – completing a number of passes but not creating the right chances. Stats may show otherwise but one must remember the number of corner kicks he takes.
Which means Rakitic’s compatriot Luka Modric is the only Real Madrid player in this combined XI. The industrious Croatian midfielder has created more chances and has more key passes than the other midfielders in contention.
It also means Andres Iniesta misses out in spite of scoring in the last
Attack
Picking the forward line was far easier than the defence and midfield except for one position – the left forward. With injuries limiting Gareth Bale to only 16 starts and Karim Benzema to 20, they were out of the running even before their names came up.
And it’s not because they were poor when they did take to the pitch. It is just that the competition took the lead and raced away with it. Luis Suarez has 26 goals and 12 assists compared to Benzema’s 20 goals and 3 assists.
On the right, in spite of the knee injury that saw him miss a number of games, Lionel Messi has 22 goals and 10 assists. And Bale? The Welsh forward’s 15 goals and 9 assists still makes him one of the standout players of the season, but he’s still second to the Argentine magician.
Which brings us back to the left. Cristiano Ronaldo or Neymar? Both players have been outstanding for their respective clubs. Neymar stepped up in Messi’s absence and wreaked so much havoc that the no.10 was barely missed. Ronaldo took on the responsibility of grabbing goals when Benzema and Bale were missing.
So we just went with the stats on this one. Ronaldo has been involved in 37 goals while Neymar has had a hand in 31. And the Ballon d’Or runner-up has the knack of turning up in Clasicos. Hence, Cristiano Ronaldo gets the nod. Simply put, you can’t form this team without the league’s leading goalscorer.
Substitutes: Bravo, Mascherano, Alba, Kroos, Iniesta, Neymar, Benzema
Manager: Luis Enrique
