On Tuesday, cup holders Real Madrid will face off against German giants Borussia Dortmund, coming back into the Champions League scene after a year’s absence.
In this article, we will make a combined eleven between the two heavyweights of their respective leagues.
Formation: We will pick out a 4-3-3 formation for this one.
Goalkeeper: Real Madrid keeper Keylor Navas takes up the place as the man between the sticks. The Costa Rican international beats Roman Bürki for the spot. Since arriving from Levante in 2014 season, Navas has been a revelation with the Los Blancos and the 29-year-old will once again be an integral part of Real Madrid’s defence against Dortmund.
Right Back: It’s a tough battle between two very good centre-backs in Lukasz Piszczek and Danny Carvajal. However, Piszczek edges slightly ahead of Carvajal for the RB spot, the Polish defender has been in great form in the past few matches and also found the net in his last two consecutive games in the Bundesliga.
Right Centre-Back: Greek defender Sokratis will easily grab this place ahead of Rafael Varane of Real Madrid. The 28-year old has been one of Dortmund’s best defensive asset over the years and will once again be key to stopping the dangerous front three of Real Madrid.
Left Centre-Back: Picking Sergio Ramos over Marc Bartra is a no brainer. The experienced Spanish centre-back has been one of Real’s best players down the years and also been crucial in big games, including the finals of 2014 UCL against city rivals Atletico.
Left-Back: We would be inclined to call this a draw between Danilo and Marcel Schmelzer. Danilo is a young talented fullback with amazing skillset whilst Schmelzer is an experienced evergreen prospect in Dortmund’s back line. Picking one over another in this one will only be deemed as harsh, but Schmelzer has a slight edge over Danilo considering his consistency.
Right Centre Midfielder: There is hardly any doubt to pick the RCM in this game. Luka Modric of Real Madrid is currently one of the world’s finest midfielders coming up against Gonzalo Castro of Dortmund, who despite being in the better form, comes nowhere close to the Croatian’s credentials in midfield.
Central Defensive Midfielder: Borussia Dortmund youngster Julian Weigl will win the CDM spot ahead of Marco Asensio of Real Madrid. The 21-year old has been an integral part of Thomas Tuchel’s system since arriving from second division 1860 Munchen for just three and a half million last summer. Weigl will arguably be Dortmund’s most key player going into this game.
Left Centre-Midfielder: We had to switch the position of Toni Kroos, who will dominate the LCM spot only because leaving out Weigl will from the combined lineup will be as harsh as they come. Toni Kroos, however, will be ready for Dortmund, a team he was so familiar playing against as an ex-Bayern player.
Right Winger: The presence of Cristiano Ronaldo makes our job easier, as the Portuguese star man easily gathers up the RW position. However, Ousmane Dembele, the player competing against Ronaldo for the spot, is a clear reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo and in fact, he’s been deemed as the Next Ronaldo by many of his ardent followers.
Left Winger: Welsh star winger Gareth Bale conquers the Left Wing spot with no hesitation. The 27-year-old is the man to go to in crucial situations for Real Madrid.
Speedy and powerful, Bale can cause some serious trouble against the weak looking Dortmund defence. Oh! He will be playing against Marc Bartra too!
Striker: Hard, but it’s clear to see Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gobbling up the striker’s position ahead of Karim Benzema. The Gabon international will be a crucial man for Dortmund on Tuesday night as his pace and prolific finish can outstay any defence in the world.
And so we conclude our combined lineup in the Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund. The lineup was as eye-catching as the game itself. Also, The 4th Official readied a predicted Dortmund lineup article for all those Dortmund fans or rather, Dortmund spies out there! Check it out right here!
