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The La Liga and Premier League are, without question, the two strongest leagues on earth. Italy's match-fixing scandals have given Serie A some ill repute over the years, and it comes in at a distant third. The German Bundesliga, as well as France's Ligue 1, are both strong. But both struggle to provide the same entertaining brand of football that the top leagues in England and Spain offer.
When it comes to the English Premier League and La Liga, nearly everything is debatable. Which is more entertaining? Which is more competitive? Can La Liga players survive a windy matchday within EPL stadiums? Will EPL players get past brutal La Liga defenders with more grunt or skillful flair?
In reality, both leagues individually have an astonishing amount of footballing talent. In recent years, clubs like Liverpool and Manchester City have broken records, dominating England with domestic success while contending strongly for European glory. Real Madrid and Barcelona have had to maintain a watchful eye on Atletico Madrid, who have consistently threatened their domination in Spain.
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The idea of a Premier League "Big Six" is merely an idea now, something to debate and contemplate about. What were formerly positions set in stone suddenly became shaky over the last few seasons. Tottenham has struggled with consistency while clubs like Arsenal have been forced out of their Big Six spots by upstarts like Leicester City.
Upstarts are also out and about in La Liga in the form of Atletico Madrid and Sevilla. Most notably, in the last five seasons, Atletico have come in first or second place three times. Each time, Real Madrid were either forced into third place, or both Barca and Real ended up without the La Liga title.
Clearly, both leagues are filled with fight, determination, domination and the capacity for nearly any team to launch a daring campaign to take the title at the end of the season. In what might be one of the hardest matches to predict, EPL's best players against La Liga's best players would be a sight to behold. But who would come out on top? Let's take a look.
Premier League best XI
(Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, Harry Maguire, Andrew Robertson, N'Golo Kante, Bruno Fernandes, Kevin De Bruyne, Mohammed Salah, Harry Kane, Son Heung-min)
With Liverpool and Manchester City dominating and captivating the Premier League in recent seasons, it's no surprise that their players make up the core of the current best XI. While their defense remained abysmal, Tottenham had some of the most inspiring displays of attacking football last season. So, it makes sense that two of their players show up on the list.
Manchester United also have two entries on the list, partly due to their brilliant efforts last season that led the club to second place in the table.
Between the posts, Liverpool star Allison will take charge. With his shot-stopping dexterity and command of his defensive line, the Brazilian international is arguably the best goalkeeper in the Premier League.
With their combination of speed, strength, and strong mentalities, Virgil van Dijk and Harry Maguire will take center-back slots. They might play for Liverpool and Manchester United respectively, but when put together, the duo will be a formidable wall of force against world-class attackers.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson are both wing-backs for Liverpool. Playing on the right and left respectively, the two have astonishing crossing and passing accuracy. While they are primarily defenders, both Liverpool stars could wreak havoc in the final third if given the space. Combined, they gave Liverpool 14 Premier League assists last season, and Alexander-Arnold has already started this season in fine form with one assist.
N'Golo Kante's presence in the holding midfield position will be a key defensive attribute for the squad. His ability to chase down attackers, run laps across the field and control the midfield will be essential for the PL XI.
Above Kante, Bruno Fernandes and Kevin De Bruyne will effortlessly link the defense with the attack. Capable of pulling the strings in the middle third, the duo is capable of brilliant, game-changing playmaking.
Coming from the Red and Blue sides of Manchester respectively, Fernandes and De Bruyne are both quality players with vision, skill and a sublime eye for goal. The two playmakers contributed to a combined 48 Premier League goals last season, which just goes to show how efficient they are from midfield.
In attack, Harry Kane's smooth link-up with fellow Tottenham teammate Son Heung-min is certain to provide the Premier League side with excitement and flair.
With Sergio Aguero now out of England, there's hardly a better striker than Harry Kane. His strong composure in front of goal - as well as his pacey off-the-ball movement - allows the England captain to score goals and provide assists for Son and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah. Available to cut inside the box and dish out goals, the explosive wingers will find a fair share of opportunities, thanks to a selfless Harry Kane. The clinical trio are highly efficient in the final third, having picked up a combined 91 goal contributions in the Premier League last season.
La Liga best XI
(4-4-2: Oblak, Trippier, Kounde, Gimenez, Mendy, Casemiro, Pedri, Kroos, Llorente, Benzema, Suarez)
For the first time in well over a decade, the La Liga XI won't be graced by the exuberance of Cristiano Ronaldo and the magical presence of Lionel Messi. This is clearly the end of a profound era that created sublime magic within La Liga's ranks.
One might argue - rightly - that La Liga just won't be the same anymore with both of them gone. However, other players - especially from Atletico Madrid - have taken up their spots. After all, a scintillating campaign last season saw Diego Simeone take the La Liga title to the Wanda Metropolitano, putting a serious dent in the Barcelona-Real Madrid domination of Spanish football.
Players from Barcelona and Madrid still made the cut though, alongside one stand-out player from Sevilla.
Between the posts stands Jan Oblak, La Liga's best goalkeeper by far and one of the best in the world. He is the most recent recipient of the La Liga Zamora Trophy, which goes to the goalkeeper with the lowest goals-to-game ratio. Known for his consistent, cat-like reflexes and commanding presence, Oblak is La Liga's man between the sticks.
Holding the defensive line before him are Sevilla star Jules Kounde and fellow Atletico teammate Jose Gimenez. Kounde's brilliant season for Sevilla helped the club to fourth place, and his performances have attracted higher-ups at Stamford Bridge. If Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has his way, Jules Kounde won't be a Sevilla player for much longer.
Gimenez, on the other hand, was a key figure in Atletico's glorious campaign to win the league last season. With Kounde's quick feet and Gimenez's experience, La Liga's defense will certainly be difficult to overrun.
Ferland Mendy and Kieran Trippier will both take up their respective positions at wing-back for La Liga. At Real Madrid, Mendy performed consistently, taking over Marcelo's role at the club. His strength in tackles, as well as his pace, will be key to matching up with the EPL wingers. Trippier was explosive for Atletico Madrid last season, helping the team with six assists in the league. Pacey, energetic and currently in his prime, the former Tottenham star will be a force to reckon with in the final third.
In central midfield, Casemiro and Toni Kroos, both Real Madrid stars, are capable of holding down the middle of the park. With Kroos' vision and passing accuracy and Casemiro's tracking back and tackling efficiency, the duo are capable of keeping up with the Premier League's midfield.
Down both flanks, Barcelona's Pedri and Atletico's Marcos Llorente will take their places. Quick, energetic, explosive and tireless, the two wingers will aim to cause havoc on the flanks. Their crossing abilities will also come in handy for La Liga's two top strikers: Karim Benzema and Luis Suarez.
With both strikers accomplished in nearly every role in their center-forward positions, Benzema and Suarez will certainly test the Premier League's defending skills. Last season, the clinical duo scored a combined 44 league goals, ensuring rough matchdays for La Liga goalkeepers. With their accurate heading, powerful shots, and strength to hold onto the ball under pressure, Benzema and Suarez will be a deadly threat in the box for La Liga.
Who will win?
It will most certainly be a hard-fought tie, and both sides will find the net at some point during the game. However, it is the English side that will pull through with the winning goal.
The EPL side has more attacking quality on their side and La Liga will certainly be rueing the loss of two otherworldly players in Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
