Liverpool and Real Madrid will once again meet each other in the UEFA Champions League final four years after their last encounter, when the Spanish giants came out 3-1 victors.
A lot has changed since that encounter in Ukraine. Liverpool won the competition a year later, Madrid have undergone huge changes both on and off the pitch, and PSG and Manchester City have still both failed to win the Champions League.
Both Liverpool and Madrid have enjoyed great success this season, and winning Europe’s greatest prize will be a spectacular way to cap off the year, with either side fancying themselves to lift the famous trophy in Paris.
The two teams boast great squads, and here at HITC Sport, we take a look at what a combined Liverpool and Real Madrid XI would look like ahead of the conclusion of the European football season.
GK – Alisson Becker
Thibaut Courtois has been a key player for Real Madrid this season, yet for Liverpool, Alisson Becker is arguably one of the three most important players on the teamsheet on any given matchday.
The Brazilian was the first keeper to reach 20 clean sheets in Europe this campaign, and with a Champions League medal already in his collection, Alisson will be keen to add to his trophy cabinet with a result against Madrid and their world-class shot-stopper Courtois.
RB – Trent Alexander-Arnold
Very few players can come along and reinvent a position, let alone somebody who isn’t even in the prime of their career, yet that’s just what Trent Alexander-Arnold has managed with the right-back spot at Liverpool.
A playmaker in the defence, the England star played a massive role in Liverpool’s last Champions League triumph in 2019, and Alexander-Arnold could once again play a big role in the final when Liverpool face Real Madrid in Paris.
CB – Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk was signed a few months before Liverpool’s 2018 clash against Real Madrid, and four years later, the Netherlands international has established himself as arguably the best defender in world football.
Although the centre-back was able to win the Champions League one year later, revenge against Madrid will weigh heavy on Van Dijk’s mind, and Liverpool have the quality to end up on the winning side this time around.
CB – David Alaba
Not many were sure how David Alaba would do as Sergio Ramos’ successor at Madrid, yet a full season on from the decision, the Austrian has more than filled the void left by the legendary Spanish defender for Los Blancos.
Alaba has hardly put a foot wrong for Madrid this year, and with two Champions League titles already to his name, the former Bayern Munich star will be eager to add a third to his collection against Liverpool.
LB – Andy Robertson
Had Alaba continued to play as a left-back, Andy Robertson might have missed out on a spot in this combined XI, though that’s not to take away from the Scotland international, who is still arguably in the top three in world football in his position.
The former Hull City star and Alexander-Arnold are easily the best fullback pairing in world football, and the duo, who both started the final against Real Madrid in 2018, will be keen for a better outcome in Paris at the end of this month.
CM – Thiago Alcantara
Liverpool’s signing of Thiago Alcantara was seen as one of the best the club had made in recent years, high praise to be sure. And this season has finally seen the best of the Spanish midfielder, who has enjoyed a relatively injury-free campaign.
A two-time Champions League winner, one of which was with Real Madrid star Alaba during their time together at Bayern, Thiago will also be keen to make it a hat-trick of European trophies, and the Spaniard’s influence in the midfield will be huge on the result of the match.
CDM – Fabinho
Both sides have world-class Brazilian defensive midfielders in Casemiro and Fabinho, but for our combined Champions League final XI, the Liverpool rock edges out over his fellow countryman by the smallest of margins.
Fabinho has enjoyed arguably his best season yet with Liverpool, and the midfielder will be key for the Reds in Paris if Jurgen Klopp’s side are to win a second Champions League title during their time together on Merseyside.
CM – Luka Modric
Age is sometimes just a number in football, and Luka Modric is living proof of that statement with the 36-year-old midfielder enjoying a fantastic campaign with Real Madrid and playing a huge role in their run to the Champions League final.
The Croatian’s assist to Rodrygo in the quarter-final against Chelsea was one of the best in the competition this season, and Modric was also in top form against Manchester City as Madrid completed one of the best comebacks in Champions League history to reach the final.
RW – Mohamed Salah
Loris Karius’ horrorshow was the main talking point in the last final between Liverpool and Real Madrid, yet the side story to that fixture in Kyiv was Mohamed Salah going off injured after a tangle with Sergio Ramos.
The injury sparked wild fury on social media from Liverpool fans and Egyptians ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and this year, you just know that Salah, the Reds’ top scorer this season, will be looking for revenge against Madrid.
ST – Karim Benzema
Cristiano Ronaldo used to make the Champions League his own during his years with Real Madrid, and now four years after his departure, Karim Benzema is stamping his authority in the competition.
The France international has quite simply been the best player in the Champions League this season and arguably in Europe as a whole, with Benzema leading the competition in goals and quite literally dragging Madrid into the final with some historic performances against Chelsea and PSG.
LW – Vinicius Junior
It feels almost cruel leaving Sadio Mane out of this XI, but there’s simply no way Vinicius Junior can be left out given the historic season the Brazilian youngster has had this season with Real Madrid.
The 21-year-old has exploded onto the scene this year, with the winger bagging 20+ goals and assists in all competitions, and after an incredible run of performances in the Champions League, Vinicius Junior could cap off this season with a big performance in Paris.
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