Two Champions League giants collide on Wednesday night as Liverpool and Real Madrid face off in a mouthwatering group stage tie.
The Anfield fixture is the kind of clash-of-the-titans encounter the competition’s bosses would have dreamed of when they conjured up a new league format enabling Europe’s finest to meet in the early weeks of the tournament.
It is a repeat of both the 2018 and 2022 finals, which saw Los Blancos clinch their 13th and 14th titles, courtesy of a mesmerising second-half performance from Gareth Bale in the former and an opportunistic Vinicius Junior winner in the latter.
The two sides meet in good form, with Arne Slot’s Reds unflappably racing to an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League, while Real have put humiliating losses to AC Milan and Barcelona behind them to win two on the trot.
But which stars makes a combined XI of these two giants, who have lifted an eye-watering 21 European Cups between them, ahead of the huge match?
A fit Alisson would be the obvious choice after a stellar career at Anfield and a start to the season which saw him concede just three times in eight matches, but the Brazilian shot-stopper is facing a couple more weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.
But former Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is not a bad replacement.
The towering Belgian has been beaten a respectable nine times in 13 games this campaign and has a save percentage of around 70 per cent so far.
Like many in the Real side, this is not his first rodeo and he edges talented number one Caoimhin Kelleher thanks to his depths of experience, which includes an outstanding display in the 2022 final.
Right back – Federico Valverde (Real Madrid)
Our team has something of a crisis on the right-hand side of defence, with Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold injured with a pulled hamstring and Los Blancos stalwart Dani Carvajal out for the season with a torn cruciate ligament.
Enter the wildcard: Federico Valverde. The centre-midfielder produced a masterclass at full-back against Leganes on Sunday, scooping up the man of the match award thanks to a solid defensively display and a goal to boot.
The tidy Uruguayan completed 94 per cent of his passes on the weekend and took 86 touches, which showed his heavy involvement from the right flank.
With five goals already this season, the 26-year-old will provide a real threat as he bombs up the pitch but if Alexander-Arnold makes a miraculous recovery – a possibility given his involvement in training today – then his place is at risk.
Centre back – Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Something of a no-brainer at the heart of defence. Virgil van Dijk has been a mainstay at Anfield for years, lifting a Champions League trophy and a Premier League.
Of his many qualities, the Dutchman’s ability to win almost everything in the air is perhaps his most valuable, succeeding in more than three aerial duels per game in the Premier League this season.
Confident on the ball, van Dijk can cut a defence open with a pinpoint long pass and has attempted a whopping 84 passes per match in the opening months.
To top it all off, the 33-year-old Liverpool skipper also has an eye for goal, scoring twice already this season and 25 times in his Reds career.
Centre back – Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool)
Joining van Dijk at the back is his partner in crime Ibrahima Konate, who was proved an assured presence this season and become one of the first names on Slot’s teamsheet.
The Frenchman has looked good in the Champions League, scoring a header in an emphatic 3-1 win at Milan and shipping just one goal.
Konate is also effective in the air, winning 82.4 per cent of his aerial duels this campaign, putting him in the top three per cent of centre-backs.
He is also putting a run together for his country, playing 90 minutes in the last four Nations League matches and even captaining Les Bleus against Italy this month.
