Liverpool-Real Madrid XI: Reds dominate central defence, Salah & Bellingham in

Two Champions League giants collide on Wednesday night as Liverpool and Real Madrid face off in a mouth-watering group stage draw.

The match at Anfield is the kind of clash between the titans that league bosses would have dreamed of when they devised a new competition format that would see Europe's best players meet in the opening weeks of the tournament.

It's a repeat of the 2018 and 2022 finals, which saw Los Blancos win their 13th and 14th titles thanks to a spellbinding second-half performance from Gareth Bale in the former and an opportunistic Vinicius Junior winner in the latter.

The two teams meet in good form, with Arne Slot's Reds racing unperturbed to an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League, while Real have put humiliating losses to AC Milan and Barcelona behind them and added two on the trot has won.

But which stars will form a combined XI for these two giants, who have won a whopping 21 European Cups between them, ahead of the big match?

Mail Sport makes the painstaking selections so you don't have to.

Goalkeeper – Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)

A fit Alisson would be the obvious choice after a stellar career at Anfield and a start to the season in which he conceded just three goals in eight games, but the Brazilian shot-stopper faces another few weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. .

But former Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is not a bad replacement.

The towering Belgian has been beaten nine times in thirteen games this season and has a save percentage of around 70 percent so far.

Like many at Real, this is not his first rodeo and he is behind talented number one Caoimhin Kelleher thanks to his vast experience, including an excellent performance in the 2022 final.

Right back – Federico Valverde (Real Madrid)

Our team has something of a crisis on the right side of defence, with Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold injured with a pulled hamstring and Los Blancos ace Dani Carvajal out for the season with a torn cruciate ligament.

Enter the wild card: Federico Valverde. The central midfielder put in a masterclass at wing-back against Leganes on Sunday, taking home the man of the match award thanks to a solid defensive display and a goal to boot.

The neat Uruguayan completed 94 percent of his passes and took 86 touches this weekend, demonstrating his strong involvement from the right flank.

With five goals already this season, the 26-year-old will be a real threat if he blows up the pitch, but if Alexander-Arnold makes a miraculous recovery – a possibility given his involvement in training today – then his place will be in jeopardy.

Central defender – Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

A no-brainer in the heart of the defense. Virgil van Dijk has been a fixture at Anfield for years and has won a Champions League trophy and a Premier League.

Of his many qualities, the Dutchman's ability to win virtually everything in the air is perhaps his most valuable. He managed more than three aerial duels per game in the Premier League this season.

Van Dijk is confident on the ball and can cut open the defense with a precise long pass. In the first few months he has attempted as many as 84 passes per game.

To top it all off, the 33-year-old Liverpool captain also has an eye for goal, having scored twice this season and 25 times in his Reds career.

Central defender – Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool)

Van Dijk is joined at the back by his partner in crime Ibrahima Konate, who proved to be a regular this season and became one of the first names on Slot's team sheet.

The Frenchman has looked good in the Champions League, scoring a header in an emphatic 3-1 win over Milan and scoring just one goal.

Konate is also effective in the air, winning 82.4 percent of his aerial duels this season, putting him in the top three percent of centre-backs.

He is also on a run for his country, playing 90 minutes in the last four Nations League matches and even captaining Les Bleus against Italy this month.

Left back – Fran Garcia (Real Madrid)

It may not please Liverpool fans, but flying Scot Andy Robertson has not been in the best of form this season, failing to score or assist in 16 games.

Fran Garcia's selection is largely a result of his Reds counterpart's subdued displays.

Although the Spaniard also played blanks this campaign, he looked a threat, making more than six progressive passes per game and, in very Spanish fashion, completing an impressive 97 percent of his passes.

Garcia also looked defensively astute as Real recovered from the 4-0 El Clasico debacle with two straight clean sheets last month.

Central midfielder – Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool)

Dutchman Ryan Gravenberch has been one of the stories of the season after being largely left out by Jurgen Klopp following his arrival from Bayern Munich last year.

The midfielder revealed that Slot called him to express his confidence in him as soon as he took the hotseat at Anfield and he has more than repaid his boss.

Gravenberch, a Rolls Royce of a player who also knows how to steal the ball back, has collected more than 55 passes per game in the league this campaign and can spray it long or short.

He also protects Van Dijk and Konate excellently, winning a whopping 84 percent of his aerial battles and will keep our squad rock solid so the attacking stars can flourish.

Central midfielder – Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)

World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister is eyeing the big event after playing a crucial role in Argentina's victory over France in Qatar two years ago.

The midfielder joined Liverpool from Brighton shortly afterwards and impressed in a red shirt, putting in a host of impressive performances in his 64 appearances.

His only goal this season came in the Champions League and he made sure to curl in a great cross from Mohamed Salah to put his side a goal ahead.

Another reliable figure in our to add.

Attacking midfielder – Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)

Now it's time for the attacking flair, starting with England talisman Jude Bellingham. The once-in-a-generation star is a bull's-eye for our side, with a passing range, dribbling skills and an eye for a miracle goal that few in the world can score.

The 21-year-old's season has been frustratingly hampered by injury, but he has shown glimpses of his old self with a goal in each of his last two games.

Bellingham made a big-money move from Dortmund to Los Blancos for £94 million in 2023, scoring 23 times in a magical debut season that ended with them winning the Champions League and La Liga.

The jury is still out on what his best position is, but in our team he has the freedom to make those driving runs into the box with the two Liverpool men behind him, or to dictate play in midfield with his unparalleled trust the ball. ball.

Right winger – Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

His future at Anfield may be uncertain, but Mohamed Salah's importance to Arne Slot's side certainly isn't as the Egyptian makes an electric start to the season.

The winger joined Liverpool from Roma in 2017 for £37million after spending two forgettable years at Chelsea. Since then he has been the club's talisman, with 223 goals in 367 games and a further 99 assists.

He was yet another reminder of how much the Reds depend on him with a goal against Southampton on Sunday that overturned a 2-1 deficit, sealing three points and extending Liverpool's lead at the top of the Premier League to eight points .

In 18 appearances this season he has 12 goals, 10 assists, four shots per game, nine touches in the opponent's area per game and 3.42 dribbles in the opponent's area per game. Simply sensational… good thing we don't have to negotiate his contract to get him on our side.

Forward – Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid)

Kylian Mbappe, one of the world's most valuable players, moved to Real on a free transfer this summer in what was the worst-kept transfer secret in football.

The goalscoring machine joined Los Blancos after a fantastic spell at Paris Saint-Germain, during which he scored 256 times in 308 games and provided 108 assists.

Mbappe scored 12 goals at the World Cup aged just 25, four of which came in two finals, making him a likely favorite to overtake Miroslav Klose's record.

His form has dipped a bit with just nine goals in 17 appearances for Carlo Ancelotti's side, but we are confident he will find the net in our dream team.

Left winger – Luis Diaz (Liverpool)

Completing our roster of megastars is Colombian winger Luis Diaz, who also offers the opportunity to rotate with Kylian Mbappé and lead the line, much to the chagrin of any opposition defence.

He was absent late in Liverpool's match against Southampton, but the Reds managed to get past the bottom-placed side without their in-form wide man.

Diaz has really impressed this season, scoring nine goals in 17, including three in four in the Champions League, and has looked unplayable at times thanks to his trickery and speed.

The 27-year-old also scored an impressive 1.7 shots on target per game in the league, and incredibly scored on 60 percent of his attempts.

The Sofascore side

The stats experts at Sofascore have also taken on the unenviable task of picking the best XI from these two European giants, and what they've come up with has similarities to our attempt.

They have opted for the same dynamic front three and also opted for Courtois in goal, but have chosen a slightly different defense and midfield to that of Mail Sport.

Sofascore prefers Robertson's safe bet at left-back and is clearly hoping he can deliver some of the performances that helped Liverpool to Champions League glory in 2019.

Meanwhile, their midfield takes on a different feel, with the more attacking Dominik Szoboszlai selected in place of Mac Allister after his opener against Southampton on Sunday.