Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona combined XI for the pre-season El Clasico
Right Back – Dani Carvajal
Dani Carvajal, like Courtois, is the only player in his position. Sergio Dest, the sole Barcelona player who stands in his way, has yet to have a standout performance for FC Barcelona and had a mediocre season, to say the least. The Catalan club touted the American fullback as the new Dani Alves, but quite ironically they ultimately had to bring a 38-year-old Dani Alves back to fill Dest’s spot.
In contrast, Real Madrid’s right back has long held the position in his dominance, and last season was no different. His resurgence following the disastrous PSG first leg game is commendable yet undervalued, much like his whole career. A quality defender, a consistent worker, and a needle-sharp crosser, Carvajal has all it takes to outperform major players at the position, let alone Dest.
Centre Back – Ronald Araújo
Ronald Araujo is the first and certainly not the last Barcelona player to reach this list. Araujo is perhaps the finest product of Barcelona’s new generation of players who rose to prominence during the club’s difficult transitioning period. The 23-year-old has a promising future ahead of him, and flashes of it have already begun to emerge.
The Uruguayan defender has tremendous talents for his age, defying the reality that he is just in his early twenties. Araujo understands exactly how to withstand and recover from a high-pressure scenario, and his ability to distribute the ball to players on either flank is something he likes to brag about multiple times throughout a game.
To be honest, he has no competition from Real Madrid for the role. In this combined XI roster, he does not face off against any part of the David Alaba-Eder Militao partnership; the reason why will become evident in the subsequent selections for the defenders’ section.
Centre Back – Antonio Rüdiger
Real Madrid’s new acquisition and German ace Antonio Rudiger makes his case to team up with Araujo. Rudiger’s flexibility, having played in both a three-defender system at his old club Chelsea and a classic four-man defence for the German national team, elevates him beyond any other player in this position.
Because of his adaptability to fit into a system based on the demands of the squad, he is well-versed in how to scan and cover gaps prone to exploitation by the opponent, which is something his opponents for the position from both Barcelona and Madrid lack.
His challenge for the job is rather surprising, given it is not a Barcelona player, but rather a Real Madrid player, Eder Militao. In the pecking order, Rudiger has surpassed Militao (something we may also see at Real Madrid next season). This may have you wondering if Araujo was chosen over David Alaba, and the answer is no, which leads us to the next position in this division, left back.
Left Back – David Alaba
The last selection in the defenders’ section, and there could not be a finer player to round up this area. David Alaba has made an effect at Real Madrid that few others have. It was the Austrian’s first season in the royal white, yet it seemed totally different. a leader on the pitch who, in addition to his strong defence, contributes something more to driving and propelling the team ahead.
However, we do not use him in his normal centre-back position, but rather at left-back, which is another side he is quite experienced covering at times and is not something new in his repertoire. In numerous last season metrics, including tackle % and pressure success rate, among others, Alaba clearly outperformed Barcelona’s Jordi Alba by a wide margin.
Furthermore, although his Spanish rival had a bad season with multiple downplays following the loss of his teammate Lionel Messi from Barcelona, the Austrian was consistently a crucial part of the Champions League winning side.