'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Premier League and the La Liga and widely considered to be two of the most competitive leagues in world football and some of the most decorated clubs in the history of the game have graced the aforementioned leagues over the years, with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Liverpool amongst the notable ones.
In the 2010s, European football was largely dominated by Spanish sides, as they won 6 of the 10 UEFA Champions League titles on offer whilst also controlling the UEFA Europa League, with Sevilla winning the competition three times in a row.
While the Premier League has virtually been a one-horse race this time around, with Liverpool absolutely rampant on their way to securing their first league title in 30 years, the usual suspects have been at it once again in the La Liga, as Real Madrid and Barcelona battle it out to reign supreme, with Atletico Madrid breathing down their necks.
While it is impossible to determine which league is the superior one out of the two, hypothetically, if the best XI from the Premier League and the La Liga were to square up against each other, who would come out on top?
In the following segment, we pip the two sides against one another and for the sake of consistency, a basic 4-3-3 formation is maintained for both sides.
Premier League Team of the Season 2019-20
PL TOTS (4-3-3): Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Caglar Soyuncu, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, Jordan Henderson (C), Kevin de Bruyne, Jack Grealish, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Jamie Vardy, Mohamed Salah
Bench: Dean Henderson, Conor Coady, Jack O'Connell, Mateo Kovacic, James Maddison, Raul Jimenez, Sadio Mane
Jurgen Klopp's side have dominated the season right from the get-go and it should come as no surprise that the Premier League Team of the Season comprises of several players. In goal, Alisson Becker gets the nod ahead of the likes of Dean Henderson and Nick Pope simply because he is one of the best goalkeepers in world football.
The Brazilian international has been in sublime form for the Reds this season and has 10 clean sheets to his name despite the fact that he missed a sizable chunk of the season, owing to a muscle injury he picked up on the opening day of the season.
The likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Virgil van Dijk have been almost ever-present for Liverpool this season and make up the rest of the backline, alongside Leicester City's Turkish central defender Caglar Soyuncu, who has made a name for himself as a fantastic player this season.
Jordan Henderson and Kevin de Bruyne are amongst the front-runners for the PFA Player of the Year award and have been pivotal to their respective teams this season, as is the case with Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish, who has come of age and almost single-handedly spearheaded his team's hopes of survival.
The two joint top scorers in the Premier League in Jamie Vardy and Pierre-Emerick Aubamayeng, with 17 goals apiece, start up front alongside Liverpool's Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah, who is aiming to become the first player since Alan Shearer to win 3 successive Premier League Golden Boots.
La Liga Team of the Season 2019-20
La Liga TOTS (4-3-3): Thibaut Courtois, Dani Carvajal, Raphael Varane, Felipe, Sergio Reguilon, Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Martin Odegaard, Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema, Mikel Oyarzabal
Bench: Jan Oblak, Renan Lodi, Yeray Alvarez, Santi Cazorla, Mikel Merino, Lucas Perez, Lucas Ocampos
While Real Madrid may only be a point clear of Barcelona in the La Liga summit, their form has been much better than what the points table suggests, as the Blaugrana have struggled for form and consistency this season.
Thibaut Courtois, Dani Carvajal and Raphael Varane and obvious inclusion in the backline owing to their forms this season and are joined in the backline by Los Blancos loanee Sergio Reguilon, who is having a productive loan spell at Sevilla.
New signing Felipe, who joined Atletico Madrid to replace Diego Godin, has slotted in seamlessly for the Rojiblancos and has been one of the signings of the season. In midfield, Los Blancos virtually make up the numbers once again, as Casemiro is joined by Toni Kroos and Real Madrid loanee Martin Odegaard, who has been one of the players of the season at Real Sociedad.
Lionel Messi leads the charts for goals and assists and the Argentine maestro has been the best player in the league once again despite struggling with injuries in the first half of the season. The likes of Karim Benzema and Mikel Oyarzabal join the 6-time Ballon d'Or winner up front by virtue of their goalscoring exploits for Real Madrid and Real Sociedad respectively.
Which team would come out on top?
While the La Liga XI comprises of seasoned veterans including one of the greatest players to have graced the game in Lionel Messi, it is hard to hard to argue with the fact that the quality of Spanish football, in general, has taken a hit in the last 18 months or so.
While Real Madrid went trophyless last season, Barcelona suffered another embarrassing capitulation in the UEFA Champions League, which led to the eventual downfall of former manager Ernesto Valverde.
The Premier League Team of the Season, on the other hand, is largely dominated by Liverpool players who in the last 18 months have secured 97 points in the league, won the UEFA Champions League and look all set to break the Premier League points record on their way to winning their first league title in 30 years.
Aside from that, Belgian superstar Kevin de Bruyne could break Thierry Henry's assists record of 20 from the 2002-03 season, representing that several players are in contention of breaking long-standing records. While the game is expected to be a close encounter, the PL team should emerge victorious on paper, with the key battle coming down to the one between Lionel Messi and Virgil van Dijk.
The pair were involved in what was one of the closest Ballon d'Or chases in history, as the Argentine pipped the Liverpool defender by 9 votes to win the award for a record-breaking sixth time in his career, becoming the first player in the history of the game to do so.
While we have indicated that the PL side could emerge victorious, the situation could turn around dramatically if Messi decides to take matters into his own hands, as has been the case so often over his decorated career.
