Bitter Spanish rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid once again lock horns on Sunday at the top of the pile in La Liga in the 253rd official installment of El Clásico at Spotify Camp Nou.
During a current campaign that has seen Barça impress under midfield icon Xavi Hernández in his first full season in charge in Catalonia, Carlo Ancelotti will have to dig deep into his managerial bag of tricks if the current league holders and reigning Champions League winners are to take anything off a Barça outfit that has dropped points in just four of their twenty-five league outings while surrendering just eight goals along the way.
🎙️ LEWANDOWSKI: “We need this game.” #ElClásico pic.twitter.com/a07HESki4C
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 17, 2023
Still, Madrid will fancy their chances after news broke detailing the guaranteed absence of both Pedri and Ousmane Dembélé, which could certainly play in Ancelotti’s favor on Sunday. Though questions also surround the availability of Karim Benzema after picking up a knock recently, both clubs are gearing up for a possible season-defining clash that could either see Barcelona move twelve points clear of Real Madrid or the capital side closing the gap to just six points with plenty of time to spare.
🧲🧤⛔️#RMCity pic.twitter.com/uIn3bLlmBE
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) March 17, 2023
With that in mind, 101 Great Goals brings you its combined El Clásico XI for Sunday’s clash.
Note: Players nominated into the XI based on current season form rather than personal bias or historic performance beyond the current 2022-23 La Liga campaign
GK: Marc-André ter Stegen
Though Belgian international Thibaut Courtois is regularly considered the best shot-stopper in all of Europe, it is hard to look past German keeper Marc-André ter Stegen who is one of the cornerstones of Barça’s vaunted defense this season, which has included a staggering 19 clean sheets.
RB: Jules Koundé
CB: Éder Militão
A rock at the heart of Real Madrid’s backline, Brazilian international Éder Militão has unequivocally been one of the top center-backs, not just in Spain, but anywhere on the continent this season and has even chipped in with four La Liga goals in 2022-23 for good measure.
CB: Andreas Christensen
Once a stalwart at Chelsea, Andreas Christensen has brought his defensive expertise to Catalunya this season and has gone a long way to repaying the faith Barcelona placed in him upon his arrival. No other Barça center-back has made more appearances than him this season.
LB: Alejandro Balde
The emergence of youngster Alejandro Balde this season as a bonafide starting left-back for Barcelona despite his tender age (19) is proof that La Masia can still churn talent out with the best of them after Balde has made the same strides as Gavi and Pedri in the first-team set up.
CM: Luka Modrić
Guaranteed to go down as one of the greatest midfielders to ever play the game for Real Madrid, his native Croatia, and of all time, 37-year-old Luka Modrić has not skipped a beat this season in the heart of Madrid’s midfield while remaining possibly the best command & control perpetrator anywhere.
CM: Frenkie de Jong
Many assumed that Frenkie de Jong was destined to leave Barcelona almost as quickly as he arrived after the Dutch international struggled to adapt to life, but his resurgence in 2022-23 has played a vital role in the club’s push for a league title while being back to his best in equal measure.
RW: Federico Valverde
Uruguayan international Federico Valverde has developed into one of the most lethal forward players in Spain despite traditionally being a central player, but his attacking talents have translated incredibly well to the tune of 7 goals and a cadre of man-of-the-match performances.
LW: Vinícius Júnior
Arguably the most gifted left-winger in Europe, Brazilian wondered Vinícius Júnior’s appearances for Real this season remain influential despite him not hitting the same statistical output as last season. Still, when he ticks, Real does, too, and that has been evident throughout.
RF: Karim Benzema
Though he may not be at his best this season in comparison to previous campaigns, Karim Benzema remains one of the most valuable pieces of Ancelotti’s set-up in Madrid. His 11 goals this season, and general all-around influence on the pitch, are still as evident as ever.
LF: Robert Lewandowski
After engraving his name in Bayern Munich lore while becoming the club’s second all-time leading scorer, Polish star Robert Lewandowski has hit the ground running at Barça while topping the La Liga goalscoring chart with 15 goals at the time of writing.
