Paris-Saint Germain vs Real Madrid: Combined XI

The spotlight ahead of the game is firmly on Angel Di MariaParis Saint-Germain are set to host Real Madrid on Wednesday in the 3rd Gameweek of the Champions League campaign. This encounter is the pair's first competitive fixture since the 1993-94 European Cup Winners' Cup quarterfinals.The French champions knocked Los Blancos out of continental competition in that season, winning 2-1 on aggregate, after a 1-0 win at Santiago Bernabeu and a 1-1 draw at Parc des Princes. It was also the second consecutive campaign that PSG disposed of Real in Europe, having dumped them out of the UEFA Cup in the last eight the season before.Victory over the Galacticos could prove Laurent Blanc and his men to be genuine title contenders as their search for glory in Europe continues. Both clubs are level on points, having secured two victories from the first two fixtures.It will be an emotional evening for Angel Di Maria who will be facing his former teammates for the first time since he made a move to Manchester United in 2014. The Argentine forward spent 4 glorious years at Santiago Bernabeu, winning the La Liga title once, Copa Del Rey twice and was instrumental in Madrid's La Decima triumph against rivals Atletico Madrid.Some of Madrid’s star players are still in doubt for this fixture, including Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema. This could serve as a big advantage for the home team who could capitalize on their absence. Ahead of this exciting clash, we look at the combined line-up of stars from Paris-Saint Germain and Real Madrid for this season in a 4-4-2 formation.

#1 Goalkeeper

Keylor Navas

The Costa Rican goalkeeper has so far been brilliant for Real this season. Keylor Navas has been the undisputed No.1 goalkeeper at the Bernabeu ever since the departure of club legend Iker Casillas, who made a move to FC Porto during the summer.

It hasn't been easy for Navas, who was on the verge of leaving Los Blancos for Manchester United during the transfer season. The 28-year-old was part of the 'De-Gea plus player swap deal' but unfortunately, the deal collapsed in the last minute and he remains a player at the Bernabeu this season.

Ever since the saga, Navas has been outstanding as the man between the sticks for the Galacticos. He has kept a total of 9 clean sheets so far and last month he set a club record for most number of clean sheets at the start of a season, more than any other goalkeeper in the history of the club. He is proving once again that he is among the best goalkeepers in the world.

#2 Defence

Thiago Silva

PSG captain is undoubtedly one of the best defenders in the world. He was brought in from AC Milan in 2009 for €46 million, making him the most expensive defender until his compatriot David Luiz, broke the record in 2014.

Brazil are not well-known for producing good, disciplined defenders. However, Silva is unique, possessing the traits of a typical Italian defender. He has got the physique, he’s aggressive, commanding, intelligent off the ball, good at reading the game and so on. He has been a great buy for the Paris-based club and he will be crucial in stopping the threat posed by Cristiano Ronaldo tonight.

Sergio Ramos

The Spain international has so far featured just five times for Los Blancos this season. Sergio Ramos dislocated his left shoulder in Real Madrid’s 4-0 win at home to Shakhtar Donetsk in the opening fixture of the competition.

The Madrid captain is a true leader on the field and has all the experience to contain Zlatan Ibrahimovic tonight. No doubt, it’s a tough task to win duels against a player of Zlatan’s quality, but one thing is for sure and we have seen it in the past, Ramos will do anything on the pitch just to come out on top.

Marcelo

Arguably one of the left-backs in the world. Marcelo has been highly criticised for his poor defensive attributes, but the Brazillian left-back has taken note and in this season, it has been one aspect of the game he has improved in.

The 27-year-old is excellent going forward and this was evident in their match against Levante this weekend. Much of Madrid’s threat came from the left-flank and the full back even scored the opening goal of the match. His link up play with Cristiano Ronaldo and Bale was excellent.

Marcelo will come up against former teammate Angel Di Maria. It will be an interesting duel and surely the Madrid full back be tested by the Argentinian.

Serge Aurier

The Ivory Coast international has been a regular starter in Laurent Blanc’s team keeping the likes of Van Der Wiel on the bench this season. Aurier was bought by PSG from Toulouse in the summer of 2014 and has made only 22 appearances for the club.

The 22-year-old full-back is considered to be one of the best in the French league but last season he struggled to get regular game time at the club. However, this season there has been a change in fortune for the Ivorian and he is now performing well under the guidance of Blanc. It will be interesting to see him stop Isco on the right flank.

#3 Midfield

Toni Kroos

The German international has cemented his place in Madrid’ s lineup and quite often he has been called to fill in the void left by Modric. Toni Kroos was a regular starter in the Bayern squad for a sustained period before making the switch to Spain and since he came to the Bernabeu, he now stands as one of the biggest midfield maestros in Europe.

This season, he has registered 2 assists to his name in 7 appearances for the Galacticos. The former Bayern player is composed on the ball, runs the show in the middle of the park and crucial in the link up play between the team’s defence and attack.

Marco Veratti

The Italian midfielder is dubbed to be the next Andrea Pirlo and rightly so. Marco Verratti plays a pivotal role in PSG’ s midfield along with Blaise Matuidi and Thiago Motta. However, this season he hasn’t registered neither any goal nor assist to his name

In last season’s Champions League, the 22-year-old had some standout performances, none better than the one against Chelsea in the round of 16. The French champions were down with 10 men in their away trip to Stamford Bridge, but the tiny Italian midfielder bossed the opposition in the middle of the park and earned his side a draw. PSG progressed to the next round on away goals.

Isco

It’s surprising how a player of Isco’s talent and capability struggles to get picked in Madrid’s starting lineup. Luckily, due to Madrid injury woes, Rafa Benitez is bound to pick the former Malaga player for the clash against PSG. He will once again get the chance to prove his worth.

Isco has made 8 appearances for Los Blancos and has bagged 2 assists along with it. The Spaniard will be employed on the left flank but like we’ve seen in the past, he poses a real threat when he drifts in and plays the key passes in and around the penalty area.

Angel Di Maria

The Argentina international has finally got his career back on track following his disastrous spell with Manchester United last season. Angel Di Maria seems to be loving the life in Paris and it shows with his performances on the pitch.

The former Real Madrid player has made a stunning start to his PSG career, netting 2 goals and 3 assists in 6 appearances this season. Di Maria will be up against Marcelo and no doubt, both the players will go toe-to-toe, but he will be looking to impress his former teammates with his performance on the night.

#4 Attack

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of the best strikers on the planet and he knows it. The 34-year-old became PSG's all-time leading goal scorer after netting two penalties in the French champions' 2-1 win over Marseille. He is also the leading goalscorer for his national team Sweden.

Ever since he arrived in Paris, he has helped the club win 3 straight league titles right from 2012. He has scored a career total of 346 goals in all competition at club level. We know for a fact that Zlatan can pull off a match winning performance and Madrid must be wary of the Swedish’ s threat. It’s no surprise he makes the cut in the combined list of players.

Cristiano Ronaldo

The Portugal captain became Real Madrid’ s all-time leading goalscorer earlier this month, beating Raul’ s record of 323 goals in all competition. Ronaldo will be closely marked by the Brazilian defender Thiago Silva.

The 30-year-old is also the current leading top scorer in Champions League, scoring a total of 83 goals, above his counterpart Lionel Messi in the chart. Ronaldo will be looking to extend his tally against PSG at their home ground.