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Left Back: Luke Shaw vs Jordi Alba
Luke Shaw has been in scintillating form this season and has cemented himself as the first choice for United and England with his displays. After his early promise as a teenager at Southampton, Shaw struggled initially at United, compounded with frequent injuries. He was deemed as lacking in character and desire by Jose Mourinho but has rejuvenated himself under Mourinho, emerging as a strong defender along with his pace and guile going forward.
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Jordi Alba is as sensational as ever going forward, with his telepathic link-ups with Lionel Messi a joy to watch. But the Spanish World Cup winner's defensive frailties have become pronounced as the 29-year-old has lost one or two yards of pace. After having been undisputed in the left side of the Spanish National team's defence, he now faces a strong threat for Real Madrid's Sergio Reguilón.
Verdict: Luke Shaw emerges ahead in stats especially in defensive duties, with better numbers in terms of aerials won, tackles, clearances blocks and occasions where he was dribbled past per game. As expected, Jordi Alba is the bigger threat going forward, contributing a stunning 10 assists this season. He also leads Shaw in terms of key passes, long balls and through balls per game.
