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Centre-backs: Stefan Savic and Sergio Ramos
The centre-back pairing of Stefan Savic and Jose Gimenez has provided Atletico Madrid with much consolation following the departure of Diego Godin last summer. However, only the former makes it to this combined team on account of his consistency and his obvious defensive awareness.
Savic is widely known for his unparalleled aerial ability, with his stature having helped him tower over his opponents in congested areas several times. He possesses an innate reading of the game and boasts of defensive intelligence that helps him make clean interceptions and tackles.
The Montenegro international will make a great partner to Sergio Ramos, who is as versatile as a defender as he is controversial. The Real Madrid captain has infuriated many with his rough style of play but none can deny his status as one of the best defenders in world football.
The Spaniard is immensely astute at the heart of the Los Blancos defence and is not afraid of being aggressive if it benefits his team. He also has a keen eye for goalscoring, a quality that is unusual in most defenders and has already netted five goals in 23 games for the club this season.
Full-backs: Dani Carvajal and Renan Lodi
Dani Carvajal, who is one of the most under-rated players in the history of Real Madrid, joins Atletico Madrid's Renan Lodi as the guardians at the wings of this team. The Spain international has been a consistent member of the Los Blancos defence since his arrival in 2013 and has enjoyed a highly successful stint with the club. The 27-year-old is a technically-gifted defender who boasts of clean dribbling skills, accurate crossing and mercenary tackling ability.
Renan Lodi, on the other hand, has left an excellent impression at Atletico Madrid since he was brought from the obscurity of Brazilian football last summer. The 21-year-old replaced Filipe Luis at left-back and despite his lack of experience in Europe, he has validated himself to the Madrid faithful with his marauding performances.
The Sao Paulo-born youngster possesses both defensive aptitude and attacking impetus and is often seen charging forward to curl dangerous crosses for his teammates in the final third. Lodi has shown immense promise in his short spell at the Wanda Metropoliano and, for many reasons, deserves his place in this combined XI.
