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Real Madrid take on Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 this week. The two cash-rich clubs will be battling it out for a spot in the quarter-finals but only one of them can go through.
The two sides have a stunning squad and there are players fighting within the club itself for a starting spot. However, we have picked our combined XI from the two teams and here's why we picked them:
Goalkeeper: Keylor Navas
Picking between Alphonse Areola and Keylor Navas was a tough one but in the end, we went with the Real Madrid shot-stopper. The Costa Rican has more experience and has been the better of the two in the Champions League.
Areola is yet to make a senior appearance for France and cannot be judged solely on his performances in the Ligue 1. Navas has, on the other hand, has been playing against the best and is always been on top of his game with he's under pressure.
Right-Back: Dani Alves
Probably the easiest pick of the combined XI. Dani Alves has been brilliant this season and has shown the world that age is just a number.
The 34-year-old has made sure that no one runs past him with ease and has provided some delightful crosses too while on the attack. Dani Carvajal's two-match suspension actually made things even more easy for us to pick the Brazilian.
Centre-Backs: Marquinhos and Sergio Ramos
Picking two out of Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane, Thiago Silva and Marquinhos was very very difficult. The four centre-backs have been impressive in the Champions League this season and have given nightmares to the opponents.
However, we went with Marquinhos and Ramos as the two impressed us the most in the group stages. They are going to have a bigger influence on the upcoming fixtures two and it was ideal for us to pick them over their defending partners.
Left-Back: Marcelo
The best left-back in the world right now with only Jordi Alba giving him any sort of a competition. It was a no-brainer to pick Marcelo over Kurzawa and it'll be very difficult for anyone to argue on behalf of the Frenchman.
The Brazilian full-back is brilliant in defending and going forward, and has been the stand out performer for Madrid even during their tough times. Kurzawa has a long way to go to even start challenging Marcelo for a place in this combined XI.
Midfielders: Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Marco Verratti
We are going with a three-man midfield for our combined XI and it's the backbone of both the teams who have made it. Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Marco Verratti are the ones we have gone with.
Kroos and Modric were vital in Real Madrid's back-to-back Champions League triumphs and it would have been foolish to drop one of them. They have had a slight dip in form this season but that's not enough for us to pick Casemiro, Thiago Motta or Rabiot in the team instead of them.
From the two bones of Madrid's backbone to PSG's backbone. Marco Verratti has been just too good this season and it would have been very difficult to pick anyone over him too.
He's been the creative minded midfielder and also been the best defensive midfielder for PSG this season. He can be the one who changes the game in the French side's favour.
Right Winger: Kylian Mbappe
This game is going to be a very difficult one for Mbappe to concentrate on. The French wonderkid is still young and is coming up against his favourite club: Real Madrid.
He's going to have to put all that aside as PSG will need him to be on top of his form especially because he's going to come up against Marcelo – someone who's very good in the big games.
There was no competition for him from Madrid for a place in the combined XI. Gareth Bale is the one who can come close but you never know how long he can stay fit.
Centre Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo might be having the worst season of his career in La Liga but in the Champions League, he was the top scorer in the group stage. He finished with 9 goals in 6 games – a number he wasn't able to reach in the league after 17 games!
Picking him over Edinson Cavani was tricky in a way as he's the out and out centre-forward. But in the end, we had to pick the best player in the competition this season in a position he loves playing and end up at most of the time during the game.
Left Winger: Neymar Jr.
Neymar's name will probably be the first name on this list for any football fan. No one can argue that he doesn't deserve to be in the XI – something which can be done for every other player on this list.
The Brazilian has taken his game to another lever since moving to PSG in the summer and has proved that he's worth every penny of the €222 million they have spent on him. But this will be his biggest test so far, and it will be interesting to see how he does.
Catch live commentary for the Real Madrid vs Paris Saint-Germain here
