Real Madrid vs Liverpool — Combined XI | UEFA Champions League 2020-21

Attack: Diogo Jota, Karim Benzema, Mo Salah

Arsenal v Liverpool - Premier League

The attack is another area of the pitch that isn't particularly hard to pick due to the options available at hand. Mo Salah surely has to be one of the first names on the teamsheet for the Reds as he continues to establish himself as one of the best players in the world, let alone best forwards.

The Liverpool superstar is their highest scorer this season by some distance, scoring a staggering 26 goals and four assists in 41 games across all competitions. Remarkably, the Egyptian forward averages 8.51 touches in the penalty area, which puts him in the 99th percentile for players in the top five leagues, further highlighting his surreal positioning and ability to retain the ball under pressure.

Diogo Jota has averaged a goal every 29 minutes as a substitute for Liverpool in the Premier League (4 in 116 minutes).He's scored with four of his seven shots after coming off the bench for the Reds. 😳 pic.twitter.com/kwWe06F8MW

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) April 3, 2021

His Liverpool teammate, Diogo Jota, occupies the other flank in this XI at the expense of Premier League and Champions League winner Sadio Mane, who has had a very forgettable campaign so far. Jota has taken Anfield by storm and has already shown why Liverpool were willing to part with a massive £45m fee for his services.

The Portuguese's energetic displays have endeared him to the Reds' faithful almost immediately and his impact on the pitch has been incredible. Jota has registered a goals-per-90 tally of 0.68 this season which places him in the 99th percentile for non-penalty goals across Europe, highlighting his efficiency and eye for goal. His eight league goals came from just seven starts, making this an even more incredible achievement.

7 - Karim Benzema 🇫🇷 is recording his best scoring streak for @realmadriden in all competitions ever (seven games in a row, nine goals). Monsieur#RealMadridEibar pic.twitter.com/a3qKuI9N0u

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) April 3, 2021

Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema rounds off this combined XI as the central striker. The Frenchman picked up right where he left off last year and has been Los Blancos' primary source of goals this season. He's scored 24 goals for them, which is four (!) times that of the next highest scorer, Casemiro, who has six to his name.

Benzema ranks in the 90s in terms of percentiles for non-penalty goals, expected assists, pass completion percentage, shots, and touches in the penalty area. The 33-year-old was famously branded as the best French striker ever by Blancos boss Zidane, and while that is something that can be debated upon, Benzema's contribution to Real Madrid's season simply cannot be overstated.

The likes of Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo Goes, and Marco Asensio pale in comparison to Liverpool's Salah and Jota, while Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane's troubled campaigns ensure that Benzema's spot in the front three is not up for debate.

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