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Midfielders: Koke, Toni Kroos, Casemiro, Luka Modric, Angel Correa
This combined XI deploys a five-man midfield with Koke, Toni Kroos, Casemiro, Luka Modric, and Angel Correa all players having been pivotal for their respective sides in the semi-finals on Thursday.
Atletico Madrid duo Koke and Correa, who have been deployed out wide on the flanks, both found the back of the net during their side's 3-2 win over Barcelona. Koke, who replaced Hector Herrera at half-time, made an immediate impact as he broke the deadlock just one minute into the second half, with Correa providing the assist. Correa, on the other hand, capped off his fantastic display against the Catalans by scoring the winner and Atletico’s third in the 86th minute.
Casemiro, who is considered one of the finest defensive midfielders in the game at present, walks into the midfield with élan. Not only is the Brazilian good at breaking up the opponents’ play, but he is also equally skilful in regaining possession and spraying passes from the deep. A lot of Real Madrid’s dangerous attacks start with the 27-year-old, who is an indispensable member of Zinedine Zidane’s Los Blancos squad.
Kroos and Modric have been the lynchpin of Real Madrid’s midfield for several years now, and their inclusion in the combined XI should not come as a surprise. Kroos, who scored from a corner in the semi-final win over Valencia, is one of the most underrated midfielders in the world, but his importance in the Zidane's set-up cannot be ignored or denied. The 30-year-old German has also been in decent form throughout the present campaign, scoring four times and setting up five more.
His midfield partner Modric, who could be heading towards the end of his trophy-laden spell at the Bernabeu, also found the net in the semi-final, proving that he’s not a finished product just yet. The Croatian may not be in the rich vein of form that saw him break the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly over the Ballon d'Or in 2018, but it’s safe to say that he still has a lot to offer to Los Blancos.
