Some people, amidst all this Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid or to PSG noise, completely forgot about the game that we play not long from now. Real Madrid face Liverpool in the Champions League final, and Liverpool players have gone on record to say that they want the title more than Real Madrid. I’m sure they want to win the trophy, but you can’t exactly want THIS trophy more than Real.
That doesn’t mean Liverpool cannot win, by the way. I am by no means counting them out. I think they’d be Real Madrid’s toughest opponent of the season, and it’s going to take something special from Los Blancos to get past a team like Liverpool, but I think it’s the same the other way around.
So, that being said, in the biggest game of the season, who should start for Real Madrid in the frickin’ Champions League final?
GK Thibaut Courtois
I mean, this is probably the easiest selection for either team! Thibaut Courtois is a sensational goalkeeper, the best in the world at his position, and it’s a no-brainer to start the world’s greatest shot-stopper in the world’s biggest club game.
Courtois has made extraordinary saves in all of Real Madrid’s previous ties, and we can expect more of the same from the Belgian wall, who has had yet another incredible season. Having him in goal is an assurance the team definitely needs when going up against assassins like Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and others.
RB Dani Carvajal
Dani Carvajal, to my surprise, has turned it around at Real Madrid. I maintain the opinion of still needing a full-back for obvious reasons, but the Spaniard has significantly improved on his performances at Real Madrid since getting absolutely skinned by Kylian Mbappe against PSG.
I’d say since the Chelsea tie, Carvajal has been good, and the team would need him to be at his absolute best, without question, as he’d be going up against Luis Diaz, who’s a cheat code when it comes to creating chances and scoring them in the attacking third. He’s an excellent dribbler with a lot of pace, so Carvajal must take this challenge with both hands.
CB Eder Militao
I know some people are of the opinion that Real Madrid should play with Nacho Fernandez and David Alaba as their starting centre-backs against Liverpool, and while Nacho had a fantastic game against Manchester City, I still think we need Militao a lot more than people think we do.
Yes, he’s had a dip in form during the second half of the season, but I also think that that dip is being blown out of proportion a little bit. He does deserve criticism, but not enough to bench him in the most important game of the season. The team already lacks a lot when it comes to aerial ability, and to defend Liverpool’s pinpoint crosses, someone needs to be there. That guy would be Militao.
CB David Alaba
The Austrian King makes his return in the biggest game of the season. He’s completely fit, as Ancelotti said in the post-game conference on Friday, and there have been multiple reports recently stating that he’s ready for Paris.
Now, the main question you ask here is, do you play David Alaba? Considering the fact that he hasn’t played properly in over a month. Well, the answer is: Yes, absolutely. I think if it was any other game, you’d probably have him on the bench. But, what David Alaba brings to this team is much more than just defensive ability or press resistance. He brings consistency, a big-game mentality, the experience of being in this situation before, and in general just a lot of composure, and that is needed in a game as big as this. So, yes, I think it’s imperative that Alaba starts in the biggest game of the season.
LB Ferland Mendy
Another fairly easy choice here. We won’t play Marcelo in the Champions League final just so that he gets his send-off. I think he already got one against Betis, and that’s about as good as it gets for Marcelo. He’d be there, though, as the team’s captain.
The player that will actually start is Mendy, who’s going to be crucial in stopping Salah from breaking through and scoring. Salah’s dangerous even when he’s not scoring as many goals as he usually would, so Mendy having a good performance is crucial for Real Madrid’s success.
DM Casemiro
Real Madrid are going to need everything they can possibly get from Casemiro in this game. His positioning and defensive prowess, as well as his presence in Zone 14, would be absolutely critical. Liverpool have a lot of runners up and down the pitch and Casemiro would have to do his best to limit their production.
Also, he has to be in the box at all times whenever the fullbacks cause danger from the flanks, because as good as David Alaba is, he’s not the tallest defender out there. Casemiro would have to do a lot of work.
CM Luka Modric
Of course, he is going to play. You don’t go to war without this guy. Modric is, in my opinion, the best midfielder in the world. He’s also the best big-game midfielder in the world right now, and there’s no way he doesn’t start for this team. His love for the team takes him to different levels that no one can ever imagine, and playing at the biggest stage of them all is only going to heighten those levels even more.
Real Madrid are going to need everything from Modric, and Modric would give his all. I think that especially in the big games, his defensive responsibility has decreased a little bit so that he’s able to go forward and help the offense more, which has been key. But this game is going to truly test him, and he needs to be up for it. Who am I kidding, of course, he’d be up for it.
CM Toni Kroos
OK, here’s my most controversial take. Well, no one would’ve considered this controversial a season ago, but I think Real Madrid will start Toni Kroos in the Champions League final.
He has struggled sometimes against big teams that are very physical, but he’s also being put in a role that is just not for him, so that makes a difference. However, what he brings to the offense and the control of the game is something that would work best against a team like Liverpool. The Reds are, statistically and otherwise, the best pressing team in the world, and even though they have toned it down a little bit, Real still need Kroos to get them through the press.
And, the other reason is that Liverpool tend to overload the ball side a lot so that they win the ball back, and that’s where Kroos comes in handy. He can launch cross-field switches and start counterattacks for Real Madrid at will. If you know Kroos, then you know that the passing is one thing that Kroos can do perfectly all day long. That will be crucial against Liverpool. And, well, if it doesn’t work, then Ancelotti would bring Camavinga on in the 60th minute, anyway.
RW Fede Valverde
Fede needs to start. I don’t care where he plays, but he needs to play. I think that Rodrygo is having a fantastic run so far, but I really want to keep him as a super-sub because of what he brings off the bench, and what Valverde brings on the pitch, even as a winger.
Valverde’s energy, physicality, ball carrying, defending and desire to win would be really important vs Liverpool. Going up against Luis Diaz on that flank with Robertson’s constant overloads, Valverde would definitely have to defend a lot.
Plus, I don’t know if anyone’s taken notice, but each time Valverde has started as a winger, Carvajal has had a great game, because he gives the Spaniard enough coverage to let him do his thing in the offense. Need more of that vs Liverpool. Bring Rodrygo on and let him do his thing later on.
CF Karim Benzema
This is another very easy choice. Karim Benzema is the best player in the world. This is the biggest game in the world. He starts.
His battle vs Virgil Van Dijk, if he plays, would be absolutely crucial in deciding what happens. We need a big performance from Benzema, because he’s our best bet in the offense. If they somehow limit his contribution, things look very slim and bleak for Real Madrid.
LW Vinicius Junior
Another fairly easy choice. Even though Rodrygo has been amazing on the left wing whenever Vini has been on the bench, there’s no way Vinicius gets benched. He has 21 goals and 20 assists, and he’d love to add a couple more with the space Trent leaves behind.
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If Real Madrid are able to get Vinicius the ball in space, he could become the team’s most lethal weapon since he has the ability to carve Liverpool open with even the teeniest bit of space. Let’s see what happens. I can’t wait.