It’s a game that would have been a worthy conclusion to this year’s Champions League.
Instead, Manchester City meet Real Madrid in the semi-finals, with the winner sure to be anointed as the overwhelming favorite to clinch the final on June 10 in Istanbul.
According to general opinion, they are Europe’s strongest teams. But who would field a mixed starting XI if all players from both clubs were fit and available? We asked our experts…
Oliver Kai
Let’s start with my five non-negotiables: Thibaut Courtois, Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland and Vinicius Junior. All five would be very strong contenders for a World XI.
In recent years one could have said similar things about David Alaba, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Karim Benzema, with the latter trio being three of the standout players of the last decade and more – and one could certainly make the case for Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni, Phil Foden and Rodrygo who will be among the standout players in the next decade.
But we’re talking here and now, right? As much as I admired Benzema’s continued greatness, I would take Haaland over him in 2023. As much as I love Kroos and Modric, I don’t think they are at the level they were four or five years ago. Their strengths lie in controlling sections of the game rather than entire games. I hope that doesn’t sound blasphemous.
Real were the Champions League team for the past decade and with so many outstanding young players, they will be the team for the next 10 years.
But right here, now? My selection is more city-heavy. They were the much more convincing side up until injury time in the second leg of last season’s semifinals and I still think it’s extraordinary that they lost it. I imagine they make amends this time.
Karl Anka
The mischievous response would be to name City’s starting XI after their 4-1 win over Arsenal and have everyone yell at them in the comments. Pep Guardiola’s team is the form team in Europe. While any Real players we’re including here would make the team more conventional/understandable, they could remove the intangibles that make City so impressive at the moment – at least in the Premier League.
But let’s do it. A back four of Kyle Walker, John Stones, Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji means you can defend against counterattacks, wide open spaces and man-to-man challenges. Luka Modric joins a midfield of Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne in a trio that can hurt you in countless ways and use possession as a defensive tool when the opposition get ideas about their station.
Haaland as a striker. Vinicius is meant to be our super Jack Grealish on the left, pulling in doubles teams and frying any full-back you set against. On the right I go for Rodrygo via Bernando Silva or Riyad Mahrez. The Brazilian has something of Thomas Muller’s ability to find space at the back post and score valuable goals on the biggest opportunities.
Mark Critchley
The caliber of players you have to let out of this squad is frankly ridiculous, starting with Ederson, although it hasn’t been a good year for the Manchester City goalkeeper. Thibaut Courtois offers a greater sense of security and intervenes.
Nathan Ake is in form although an injury could keep him from the first leg. Eder Militao is also suspended but ensures an aggressive partnership with Ruben Dias. John Stones is making the move from right-back to becoming the best defender in Europe at the base of midfield.
That security in the middle allows for a more adventurous selection ahead of them and – with apologies to Luka Modric, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva – I’d be interested to see Federico Valverde box-to-box, picking the No.8 alongside No. roamed -brainer pick by Kevin De Bruyne.
Erling Haaland is ahead of the current Ballon d’Or holder and incredibly it’s not really a competition. Jack Grealish is unfortunate enough to face perhaps one of the few players in Europe who is just as good at taking the ball and putting it on the field. Joining Vinicius Jr. is Rodrygo, whose improvement over the past year deserves more credit.
Pol Ballus
Thibaut Courtois is my goalkeeper. Possibly Ederson’s footwork is more valuable for Pep Guardiola’s style of play, but if we assess pure goalkeeping quality, few can compare to Courtois.
John Stones is a right-back – he’s evolved into a full-back, reading the game as a No 10, defending the penalty area like an old-school 1980s centre-back and fitting into midfield with shocking ease. He is also the best right-back at the moment.
Eder Militao (because of his physicality) and David Alaba (because of his parentage) are my centre-backs, while Nathan Ake comes into play at left-back; He was among City’s top five players this season. Ahead of them, Rodri is the best midfielder in the Champions League so he’s a given.
Ilkay Gundogan plays on the left (Luka Modric could very well be here but Gundogan has been more influential this season overall) while no manager would leave Kevin De Bruyne out. On the right flank, Bernardo Silva will always be in my team. He is a pace-reading, space-recognizing, attacking midfielder of outstanding quality.
Center forward is Erling Haaland. Karim Benzema may be one of the greatest forwards of the last decade, but I don’t think I need to argue much here to justify picking a 50-goal-a-season player ahead of him.
And on the left it must be Vinicius Jr. Jack Grealish was great but Vinicius Jr. is currently the best left winger in the world.
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor
Thibaut Courtois gets the gloves because of his medal collection; He knows what it means to win the Champions League. He understands that these connections are decided by small moments, and I can count on him to make a crucial intervention – or five. He makes me feel safe.
A chain of four is in front of him. We’re losing some footballing ability by leaving Ederson out, so John Stones and David Alaba are equalizing picks that also offer some flexibility in position should that be needed.
It’s an all-city midfield three. Ilkay Gündogan’s record of scoring goals in time is hard to miss. Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are more stylish and Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga are individually more intriguing, but Gundogan has a habit of being a determining factor. He’s also the perfect middle point between Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne, neither of whom can really be left out.
At the top, Erling Haaland will bring me goals and Vinicius Jr. will surely triumph in any one-on-one competition he faces. That makes this team’s attacking punch powerful enough for Federico Valverde to offer a combination of more horsepower under the hood and an extra man off the ball in midfield.
Nick Miller
I have to apologize to Manchester City for choosing Ederson over Thibaut Courtois. Given that the Belgium stopper motivated him with a media break in last season’s Champions League final, we can only assume he’ll similarly pin this piece to the dressing room wall as he fusses around to face City.
My defense has a nice balance – right foot/left foot, pace/nous, steel/style – and it’s similar in midfield. Rodri is probably the best in the world at his position and I’m convinced Luka Modric is indeed getting younger while Kevin De Bruyne complements these two nicely.
Finally at the top: Vinicius Jr is a shoo-in, I like the balance and industry that Federico Valverde would offer down right and… well… the 51 goals scored by Erling Haaland mean he has to be No.9 . But it’s an absolute scandal that Karim Benzema remains on the bench.
I am already writing a clearly worded letter to whoever selected this team.
Guillermo Rai
Thibaut Courtois, despite his mistake at Anfield, continues to play at the level that helped Real Madrid win the Champions League last season. Likewise, at right-back, Dani Carvajal is ahead of Kyle Walker for his special performances in Europe.
At centre-back, Eder Militao is a step above John Stones, but Ruben Dias – one of the best defenders in the world – is there. As a left-back, Eduardo Camavinga has endured great tests at Barcelona and Chelsea, although his future lies in central midfield.
Luka Modric continues to be Madrid’s great point of reference alongside his five-time Champions League winner Toni Kroos. Few fans in white would argue that Kevin De Bruyne deserved to join them in this combined XI.
And in attack we have to start with Vinicius Jr., Madrid’s most dangerous player of the season. Rodrygo is now an undisputed starter for Carlo Ancelotti as well and has already scored crucial goals at this stage of the competition. In between is Erling Haaland, who will surely be a contender for Karim Benzema’s Ballon d’Or.
StuartJames
Well someone had to do it. We’re 4-4-2, with Erling Haaland and Karim Benzema together at the top. In fact, that’s as easygoing as it gets, and that means Rodri does some heavy lifting down the center of the pitch to hold it all together. Also, let’s not overlook that it is the opponent who will spend the game defending.
The towering Vinicius Jr. has to play wide on the left and I considered choosing Jack Grealish on the right for – and I could not have imagined writing this a few years ago – for his defensive work. But that’s off-topic here, so Rodrygo gets the nod instead.
At the back – yes we have a defense – it’s essentially City plus Thibaut Courtois. The addition of Nathan Ake might surprise some, but I figured what this team could really use is a left-back who comes up with a goal or two. Seriously, Ake is underrated.
Oh, finally, Ancelotti is in charge – you need a cool head on the sidelines with this eleven.
John Mueller
This should be a combined XI with no wrong answers, but feels like there are no right ones.
Erling Haaland has found an unlimited goal hack, but Benzema’s sprawling creativity is even more interesting to watch. For chemistry’s sake we give him Vinicius Jr – who has grown to be the best winger in the world alongside Kylian Mbappe – and Rodrygo, who is perhaps the most underrated. Part of the fun is that all three like to play different versions of left wing at the same time.
Rodri and De Bruyne disrespect Real Madrid’s world champions in midfield and Bernardo Silva’s versatility gives him an edge over Toni Kroos and Ilkay Gundogan.
From City’s stable of centre-backs, Dias gets the nod as an anchor, Stones to get into midfield and Walker to lead the cross. With no one seeming to have a left-back anymore, Camavinga can get quirky in his new hybrid role.
And yes, I know Courtois pretty much single-handedly won the Champions League last year, but Ederson’s pass from behind is too good to miss. No right answers, remember?
(Top Photos: Getty Images)