Real Madrid vs Juventus: Combined XI for the pre-season clash

The plane that took off in Spain is currently on its way to California. After two gruelling preseason games against Barcelona and Club America, Real Madrid is now set to face Juventus in Rose Bowl Stadium for the last encounter of their US trip.

The two European heavyweights have previously met on countless occasions with far more significant things at stake, and this game would become a swift recollection of the clubs’ shared heritage and respect for one another, as well as a decent warm-up before a hard season looming for both sides.

With two Italian managers on the side of the field, Carlo Ancelotti and Massimiliano Allegri, the game will undoubtedly be hotly charged, with all of the big names on the squad sheets confronting each other.

Let’s use this as a starting point to assemble an XI that includes the top performers from both Juventus and Real Madrid in each position. Unlike the customary pattern, this XI will be 4-4-2 in layout.

Goalkeeper – Thibaut Courtois

The finest in the business, the finest in the world, he is unsurpassed. You can shoot right, left, up, or down, but you can’t get past the Belgian Wall. Real Madrid has unearthed a gem in Courtois, and he hasn’t even allowed the preseason to go by without demonstrating the punch he possesses beneath those gloves. If anything, Courtois’ performance against Barcelona appeared to be a continuation of his recent form.

Wojciech Szczesny, his competitor for this position, is an incredible man between the sticks who has saved his team on several instances, but he just does not leap ahead of Courtois right now. The Real Madrid goalkeeper is simply the finest in the world, and there is no argument that would put Szczesny, or for that matter, any goalkeeper in the world, ahead of him. Courtois comes about as a simple and straightforward selection.