Barcelona vs Bayern Munich combined XI | UEFA Champions League 2019-20

Attack

Right-wing: Lionel Messi

Messi has been Barcelona's driving force in a bleak season

Be it a combined XI between Barcelona and Bayern Munich or be it an XI of the best players in the world, Lionel Messi was always going to make it as one of the first names on the sheet. Although Barcelona endured a poor season, the legendary Argentine on a personal note has enjoyed a record-breaking one. He became the first-ever LaLiga player and second across the top-five leagues to register a minimum of 20 goals and assists in a league season.

Messi hasn't been as prolific as he'd have hoped to be in the UCL, though, having scored only three goals and assisting as many across seven games. However, his displays overall have been absolutely surreal, averaging 7.7 dribbles (!), four shots and 2.7 key passes per game in the UCL so far. Messi's phenomenal show against Napoli was another reminder of what he's capable of.

20 goals and 20 assists in a single league season this century:-Thierry Henry 2002-03-Leo Messi 2019-20End of list. pic.twitter.com/A9emiBCfLY

— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 11, 2020

With a young and devastatingly good Davies set to face him on the flanks, Messi could perhaps face a test more stringent than most in Europe so far. But with Barcelona's hopes pinned on their skipper, he is almost certain to put on a show in Portugal.

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Left-wing: Serge Gnabry

Gnabry scored a stunning four-goal haul against Spurs

Bayern Munich's primary outlet out wide in attack, Serge Gnabry, has been one of the most devastating attackers in the Bundesliga this year. The former Arsenal man racked up 12 goals and ten assists in 31 Bundesliga games en route a fantastic season for the Bavarians.

In the UCL, Gnabry has been somewhat surprisingly selective with his scoring. The 25-year-old has scored six goals, the second-highest in the competition among remaining teams. However, all six of them came in two matches, and both games were against Arsenal's former London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. His four-goal haul against the former was simply breathtaking as he was the chief architect of the then-Mauricio Pochettino led side's 7-2 defeat at home.

6 - Serge Gnabry is the first player in Champions League history to score each of his first six goals in the competition all against sides from the same nation (4 v Tottenham, 2 v Chelsea). Gunner. #CHEBAY pic.twitter.com/FwfXanlclq

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 25, 2020

Gnabry carries an immense threat on the counter, and Barcelona will have to be wary not only of his pace but also his ability on the ball and to pick the right pass in tricky situations. The German is also an excellent finisher, to add to his dribbling prowess.

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Centre-forward: Robert Lewandowski

Lewandowski has arguably been the best player in the world this year

Speaking of finishing, perhaps there is no better player in the world in that particular regard than Bayern Munich's scintillating striker, Robert Lewandowski. The former Borussia Dortmund man has been on a level higher than arguably every other footballer on the planet this year, relentlessly smashing goals past helpless opponents.

The Pole's form gives Bayern Munich the edge they need to beat any team they come across as they hope to register their second-ever European treble. Lewandowski has enjoyed a career-best season so far, scoring over 50 goals across all competitions. However, what's impressive here is not only the sheer number of goals he's scored. The 31-year-old has a might impressive catalogue of strikes ranging from blinding thirty-yarders to predatory close-range flicks and finishes, and he's also scored several crucial winners for his side as well.

4 - Robert Lewandowski is only the second player to have scored 4+ goals in a Champions League game on more than one occasion, along with Lionel Messi. Phenomenal. pic.twitter.com/i8VIqtyMY0

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 26, 2019

Lewandowski was tipped to be the front runner for the Ballon d'Or this year, which was unfortunately called off due to COVID-19. However, a treble would still be a truly incredible achievement for his side, and Lewandowski will undoubtedly have an incredible part to play in it.

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