UEFA Champions League: Juventus vs Real Madrid, Combined XI

Midfielders

Casemiro in action

As both Juventus and Madrid rely on their full-backs to provide width, we are going with three central midfielders and a number 10 in our 4-3-1-2 formation.

Defensive Midfielder: Casemiro (Real Madrid)

The tough-tackling player is our defensive midfielder, who has shot into stardom in a short period of time. The player has been at Madrid since 2012 but was sent out on loan to Porto in the 2014-15 season.

He has been crucial to Zidane's setup as he provides the defensive cover for his attackers to play at will. He also has a good history against Juventus as he scored against them in the Champions League final last season.

In 36 games for the club this season, he has 6 goals and 3 assists.

Casemiro has won more tackles (20) in the Champions League this season than any other player. ❌ pic.twitter.com/1zAgCNQAgW

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 8, 2018

Central midfielder: Toni Kroos (Real Madrid)

An automatic selection in this line-up, and in almost all line-ups for that matter, Kroos has been wowing us all with his ability to control the game on his own. He sets the tempo and initiates the attacks from midfield with his defence-splitting passes and wonderful long balls to his wide players.

He is widely regarded as one of the best in the world in his position, if not the best, and his form is crucial for Marid to perform well.

Still only 28 years old, the German has over 500 caps under his belt and is targeting his fourth Champions League title this season.

Toni Kroos is the only player to created 50 chances in the Champions League since the beginning of 2016/17. Phenomenal vision. pic.twitter.com/E1FEjhSQKF

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) February 15, 2018

Central midfielder: Miralem Pjanic (Juventus)

There were question marks over who will replace Paul Pogba when he joined Manchester United in 2016, but Juventus quickly put all those doubts to rest with the signing of Pjanic from AS Roma. The midfielder has been a mainstay in their midfield and has stepped up to the occasion with a string of commanding performances.

His underlying stats are so good that he ousts the ever-reliable Luka Modric in our line-up.

He is the heart of Juventus' team and has 6 goals and 10 assists in 36 games this season and the tally is likely to increase, come May.

The #10: Isco (Real Madrid)

Isco-disco!

It is surprising how Zidane cannot find a place for a player of such high quality in his starting XI, even at a time when Madrid are struggling for form.

Isco arrived in 2013 from Malaga and has made over 230 appearances for the club. During the period, he has scored 39 goals for them, which is a decent return but for the majority of his career at Madrid, he has had to settle for a bench role.

The 25-year-old is a subject of interest from many clubs and he will be seeking a move away for regular minutes if an opportunity arises. This season, he has scored 7 goals and has as many assists to his name and Madrid will need to use him at some point in the match to unlock Juventus' sturdy defence.