Chelsea and Real Madrid combined XI: UCL dream team
By Joseph Joe
Right winger: Kai Havertz, Chelsea
Chelsea’s best player at the moment is Kai Havertz. The German forward has picked up form immensely since the turn of the calendar year. He’s scored 11 goals and provided five assists during the entire campaign. Although he is not a natural right winger and mostly starts down the middle at the expense of out-of-form No. 9 Romelu Lukaku, his ability to play multiple positions sees him get into this list. His form and importance to the team sees him edge out players like Marco Asensio and Hakim Ziyech. Havertz has the skill, pace and trickery to be a match winner anytime of any day, regardless of where he starts at on the pitch.
Let’s not forget, he won Chelsea the Champions League trophy last season with the only goal against Manchester City and the FIFA Club World Cup against Palmeiras with a winning penalty. The former Bayer Leverkusen wunderkind will definitely go into the game with his head held high.
Striker: Karim Benzema, Real Madrid
Whether Karim Benzema is human or not, I really do not know. Some would say the time he spent working with Cristiano Ronaldo is starting to pay off without the Portuguese superstar, as Benzema is now Real Madrid’s talisman. The French forward is scoring an astonishing every 88 minutes he plays this season. Benzema has 34 goals and 13 assists in just 35 games. Truth be told, even I don’t believe what I’ve just typed, the man is on a different level entirely.
Real Madrid’s main man up front has equalled his best goal scoring tally—a record he set in the 2015/16 season—already. Los Blancos have suffered when he is not on duty as he always seems to bring moments of magic leaving the fans in awe. Big Benz, as he is correctly dubbed, is definitely the best striker in the ranks of either team, which makes his selection in this team rather straightforward. Benzema is definitely going to be the catalyst for any Real Madrid attack.
Left winger: Vinicius Jr, Real Madrid
Last—but certainly not least—Vinicius Jr. The Brazilian is miles ahead of Eden Hazard, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Christian Pulisic, which earns him a selection in this combined XI. The wonderkid has produced some beautiful moments of magic over the course of his Real Madrid career already. His deadly combination with Benzema has left a lot of La Liga defenders haunted. Brought in as an heir to Ronaldo, the 21-year-old failed to impress at first, but he has turned it up a notch this season. Vinicius Jr. has impressed with 17 goals and 14 assists over the span of 40 games. He is currently one of the best wingers in Europe, his perfect combination of speed and skill is definitely a headache to any defender he comes up against.
Who makes your combined XI? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!