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
