Our experts choose the combination between Real Madrid and Manchester City

It’s a match that could have been a fitting end to this season’s Champions League.

Instead, Manchester City face Real Madrid in the semi-finals, and the winner is sure to be the favorite to go on to win the final in Istanbul on June 10.

They are, by common consensus, the strongest teams in Europe. But who would make a composite XI, assuming every player from both clubs was fit and available? We asked our experts…

Oliver Kay

Let’s start with the negotiable five: Thibaut Courtois, Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland and Vinicius Jr. All five would be strong contenders for the eleventh world.

In recent years, you could say something similar to David Alaba, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Karim Benzema, the latter trio being three of the iconic players of the last decade and more – and you could certainly make a case for Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien. Tchoameni, Phil Foden and Rodrigo, who will be among the leading players of the next decade.

But we’re talking about the here and now, right? As much as Benzema’s enduring greatness amazes me, I would take Haaland on him in 2023. As much as I love Kroos and Modric, I don’t think they’re at the level they were four or five years ago. Their strength lies in controlling periods of matches rather than entire matches. I hope none of this sounds blasphemous.

Real Madrid has been the Champions League team of the past decade, and with so many outstanding young players, they are set to be the team of the next 10 years as well.

But here, now? My choice is rather Heavy City. They were the most convincing side until injury time in the second leg of last season’s semi-final and I still find it extraordinary that they lost that. I imagine them to fix this time.

Carl Anka

The brave answer would be to name City’s starting line-up from their 4-1 win over Arsenal and let everyone shout it out to each other in the comments section. Pep Guardiola’s team is the perfect team in Europe. While any Real Madrid players we include here would make the team more traditional/understandable, they may remove the intangibles that make City so great at the moment – in the Premier League at least.

But let’s go for it. A defensive four of Kyle Walker, John Stones, Robin Dias and Manuel Akanji means you can defend against the counters, big open spaces and man-to-man challenges. Luka Modric joins midfield Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne in a trio that can hurt you in countless ways and use possession as a defensive tool if opponents get ideas above their position.

Haaland as striker. Vinicius would be Super Jack Grealish on the left, tying in double teams and frying any fullback you put up against him. On the right, I would go for Rodrygo instead of Bernando Silva or Riyad Mahrez. The Brazilian has something of Thomas Müller about him in his ability to find space at the back post and step in with valuable goals on the biggest occasions.

Mark Critchley

The level of player you have to dismiss from this side is frankly ridiculous, starting with Ederson, although it hasn’t been a year old for the Manchester City goalkeeper. Thibaut Courtois offers a greater sense of security, moving in.

Nathan Ake is in fine shape, although an injury may prevent him from taking part in the first leg. Eder Militao was also suspended, but he worked on a solid partnership with Ruben Dias. John Stones swoops in from right wing-back to join Europe’s best holder in the midfield base.

This safety in the middle allows for a more adventurous selection in front of them – with apologies to Luka Modric, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva – I’d be interested to see Federico Valverde as box-to-box, number 8 running around alongside no. Brenner’s choice for Kevin De Bruyne.

Erling Haaland is ahead of the current Ballon d’Or holder, and it’s not really a contest. It is unfortunate that Jack Grealish will be facing one of the few players in Europe who is equally good at taking the ball and moving it up the pitch. Vinicius Junior is joined by Rodrygo, whose improvement over the past year deserves even more recognition.

Paul Paul

Thibaut Courtois is a goalkeeper. Ederson’s footwork is probably more valuable to Pep Guardiola’s playing style, but if we evaluate purely goalkeeping quality, no one will compare to Courtois.

John Stones at right-back – he’s developed into a complete defender who reads the game as the number 10 player, defends the penalty area like an old-school center back in the 1980s and cuts through midfield with frightening ease. Now, he is the best right-back too.

Eder Militao (due to his physical strength) and David Alaba (due to his lineage) are the centre-backs, while Nathan Ake comes in at left-back; He has been among the five best City players this season. Before them, Rodri is the best midfielder in the Champions League, so that’s a given.

Ilkay Gundogan plays on the left (Luka Modric may be good here, but Gundogan has been more influential overall this season), while no coach has left out Kevin De Bruyne. On the right, Bernardo Silva will always be in my team. He is a quality attacking midfielder, who reads pace and reveals space.

Erling Haaland is the centre-forward. While Karim Benzema is one of the greatest strikers of the last decade, I don’t think I need to make a big case here to justify picking a player who scores 50 goals a season ahead of him.

And on the left, it should be Vinicius Jr. Jack Grealish has been great, but Vinicius Jr. is the best left winger in the world right now.

Sebastian Stafford Blore

Thibaut Courtois grabbed the glove for his medal collection; He knows what it means to win the Champions League. He understands that these relationships are decided in a few moments and I can count on him to make a decisive intervention — or five. Makes me feel safe.

There are four background in front of him. We lose some ball capacity by excluding Ederson, so John Stones and David Alaba are compensatory choices that also offer some positional flexibility if needed.

He is a midfield trio for all of City. Ilkay Gundogan’s record of scoring goals at the right time is hard to ignore. Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are more personable and Aurelien Choameni and Eduardo Camavinga individually more interesting, but Gundogan has this habit as a defining factor. He’s also the perfect midpoint between Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne, neither of which can really be ruled out.

Up front, Lee Erling Haaland will deliver the goals, and Vinicius Jr. will surely triumph in any one-on-one match he faces. That makes this team’s offensive punch heavy enough, so Federico Valverde could offer a combination of providing more horsepower under the hood and extra man in midfield without the ball.

Nick Miller

I have to apologize to Manchester City for choosing Ederson over Thibaut Courtois. Given that the Belgian stopper used a media snub to motivate him in last season’s Champions League final, we can only assume he’ll similarly hang the piece on the dressing room wall while cheering himself up to face City.

My defensive has good balance – right foot/left foot, pace/nos, steel/style – and is similar in midfield. Rodri is probably the best in the world in his position and I’m convinced Luka Modric is really getting bigger, while Kevin De Bruyne complements those two nicely.

Finally, on top: Vinicius Jr. is a great player, I love the balance and the technique Federico Valverde provides on the right flank, and… well… the 51 goals scored by Erling Haaland mean he should be No. 9. The absolute scandal that Karim Benzema left on the bench.

I am already writing a strong letter to whoever chose this team.

Guillermo Ray

Thibaut Courtois, despite his mistake at Anfield, continues to perform at the level that helped Real Madrid win the Champions League last season. Similarly, at right-back, Dani Carvajal is edging out Kyle Walker for his own performances in Europe.

In central defence, Eder Militao has the edge over John Stones, but Ruben Dias – one of the best defenders in the world – is present. At left-back, Eduardo Camavinga has had big tests at Barcelona and Chelsea, despite his future. in the middle of the field.

Luka Modric continues to be the great reference point for Real Madrid, along with fellow five-time Champions League winner Toni Kroos. Few fans in white would argue that Kevin De Bruyne deserves to join them in this XI.

And in attack, we have to start with Vinicius Junior, the most dangerous player in Real Madrid this season. Rodrygo is now an undisputed starter for Carlo Ancelotti too, and has already scored crucial goals at this stage of the competition. Between them, there is Erling Haaland, who will surely be the contender for Karim Benzema’s Ballon d’Or.

Stuart James

Well, someone had to do it. We are 4-4-2, with Erling Haaland and Karim Benzema at the top together. In fact, this is about as overbearing as it gets and it means Rodri does some seriously heavy lifting in midfield to get it together. Likewise, let’s not ignore the fact that it is the opponent who will spend the match on defense.

The outstanding Vinicius Jr. has to play wide on the left and I thought of picking Jack Grealish on the right – I wouldn’t have imagined writing this a few years ago – for his defensive work. But that just doesn’t fit the theme here, so Rodrygo gets the nod instead.

At the back – yeah, we have a defence – it’s basically City plus Thibaut Courtois. The inclusion of Nathan Ake may surprise some, but I’ve found that what this team can really do is a left-back who pops up with an odd goal. In all seriousness, Ake is underrated.

Oh, finally, Ancelotti is in charge – you’ll need a calm head on the touchline with this XI.

John Mueller

This should be a combined eleventh with no wrong answers, but it kind of feels like there are no right answers.

Erling Haaland found unlimited penetration of goals, but Benzema’s mobile creativity is still more interesting. For chemistry, we’ll give him Vinicius Junior – who has grown up to be the best winger in the world this side of Kylian Mbappe – and Rodrygo, who might be the least appreciative. The fact that all three like to play different versions of the left winger at the same time is part of the fun.

Without any disdain for Madrid’s world-class midfield, Rodri and De Bruyne clearly excel at the moment, and Bernardo Silva’s versatility gives him the edge over Toni Kroos and Ilkay Gundogan.

Among the City players, Dias got a nod as a pivot, Stones midfield tackle Walker to man the wing. Since no one seems to have a left-back anymore, Camavinga is free to become an outsider in his new hybrid role.

Yes, I know Courtois single-handedly won the Champions League last year, but Ederson’s pass from behind is just too good to miss. There are no right answers, remember?

(Top images: Getty Images)