Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid - 5 players who would be perfect for the other team

There is no doubt that the Madrid derby is considered to be one of the biggest and most famous derbies on planet earth. In the past few seasons, Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid have both faced-off in the UEFA Champions League final, on two different occasions-- something which highlights the quality of both sides.

Atlético have often been in Real's shadow. But since Diego Simeone was appointed as manager back in 2011, he led a revolution which restored balance between the two giants. His most notable achievement was winning the Spanish league in 2014, bringing an end to the two-horse race status that Real Madrid and Barcelona had imposed on La Liga.

Ahead of the Madrid derby, we take a look at 5 players who have the potential to be the perfect fit for the other team.

#5 Jab Oblak

Jan Oblak in action against England in a FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifier

Atlético Madrid have been known for their defensive resilience for quite a while now. Their defensive organization is one of the main reasons for their solidity. But in any case, Jan Oblak is always present to produce some miraculous saves in order to save Atléti during the tensest moments.

As a matter of fact, Atlético Madrid are the second best defence in Spain this season, having conceded merely six goals - that's two more than Barcelona and three less than Real Madrid.

Keylor Navas might have shown his quality for Real in many games, helping them win everything there is but the 30-year old tends to commit the odd mistake that very often prove to be costly.

Oblak, 24, is seen as a great shot-stopper but is also superior in terms of ball-playing abilities. One of Navas' main weaknesses is that he is always looking to randomly clear the ball as soon as he receives it, as he loses his composure very quickly.

Oblak is probably among the best 5 goalkeepers in the world, whereas Navas is arguably not even in the top 10. So is the Slovenian a direct improvement over the Costa Rican? No doubt.

#4 Antoine Griezmann

Griezmann up against the Republic of Ireland - Round of 16: UEFA Euro 2016

Many would argue that Antoine Griezmann is not needed at Real Madrid when they already have so much depth in attack, notably with Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Marco Asensio.

However, the problem is that Gareth Bale is almost always injured, whereas Karim Benzema has been receiving a lot of criticism following his huge dip in form. In fact, the Frenchman has only scored 1 goal in 7 league appearances this season.

In addition to that, Real Madrid clearly have a problem in attack, having just scored 22 goals in 11 Liga games so far. An average of two goals per game is certainly considered low, especially when compared with Barcelona's average of 2.95 - which perhaps explains why they are on top of the table with a lead of eight points, over their arch-rivals.

In brief, Madrid need to boost their attack with an experienced player who is already proven on the big stage. Griezmann scored 24 goals and mustered 10 assists for Atlético Madrid last season. Just imagine how valuable an asset he would be for a Real Madrid side that is struggling to score goals.

The 26-year old is a scorer and a creator at the same time, and would certainly be add great quality to the champions of Europe.

#3 Diego Godin

Diego Godin against Real Madrid - UEFA Champions League action

As mentioned earlier on, Atlético Madrid are the second best defence in the Spanish league this season having conceded two goals less than Real Madrid. They have been considered one of the hardest defences to break in the whole continent for years now with Diego Godin being the leader of the back-line and the captain of the team.

Can you imagine Real Madrid with a centre-back partnership of Diego Godin and Sergio Ramos? They would form the best defensive duo in the world. They are both monsters in aerial duels, in tackles, and can score decisive goals whenever their team needs it the most.

Raphael Varane is considered an important squad member despite only being 24 years old, but he has a recurrent problem with injuries whereas Ramos can often find himself missing games due to suspension. With Portugal international Pepe leaving the team on a free last summer, there is no reliable option for the big games whenever any of Varane and Ramos are out - for whatever reason.

Diego Godin would help restore defensive stability for Real Madrid with his composure during the moments of pressure, just like he has been doing for Atlético Madrid and for Uruguay's national teams for years now.

#2 Dani Carvajal

Dani Carvajal is considered the best at his position

Most people will agree that Dani Carvajal is the best right back in the world at the moment. Despite sitting on the sidelines for a while because of his heart condition, the 25-year old was able to overcome this threat and will be back to boost Real Madrid's ranks soon enough.

Carvajal is one of the most important cogs that help Real Madrid unlock defences thanks to his explosive runs, crosses, dribbles and shots. He ended last season with 10 assists in all competitions. Meanwhile, Juanfran is yet to deliver a single assist, or even find the net, after 10 appearances this season.

The fact that Juanfran is almost 33 certainly does not help his case. It is not like he is expected to improve when he is clearly moving towards the end of his career. Carvajal is already the much superior force going forward but they are also quite solid defensively, especially in one-on-one situations where he has to deal with wingers who rely on pace.

In addition to that, Carvajal is one of the most energetic and hard-working fullbacks right now. He is capable of maintaining the same level throughout 90 minutes, as well as throughout a whole season. Consistency is often a decisive factor when comparing two players who operate in the same position.

#1 Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is the FIFA player of the year 2017

Diego Simeone often likes to criticize Cristiano Ronaldo in public, which is something natural between arch-rivals. However, no sane person can deny that the Portuguese is one of the most decisive players in the world, in the past few years.

In the Liga derby at the Calderon last season, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick to silence all his critics and to remind Atlético fans that in Madrid, there is only one boss. In addition to that, Cristiano went on to score yet another hat-trick against Atléti, in the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League. Real Madrid would eventually win the tournament, and be crowned as the champions of Europe for a record 12th time.

In brief, Cristiano Ronaldo has very often slain Atlético Madrid. His dip in form in the league, in the past two months, does not change the fact that he is still one of the best goalscorers in the world, if not the best. He is, by the way, the leading goalscorer of the Champions League with 6 goals in 4 matches already.

Meanwhile, Atlético Madrid have some serious goal-scoring issues, having just scored 19 goals in 16 games, in all competitions this season. They are in desperate need of a clinical force in attack. In other words, they are in desperate need of someone like Cristiano Ronaldo.