Spain vs England: Combined XI

As the international fixtures take centre-stage this week, the whipping boys of England travel south to the Iberian Peninsula where defending European champions Spain are awaiting them in Alicante for a mouth-watering international friendly. Following their successful qualifying campaigns for the 2016 showpiece in France, the two sides start laying the groundwork for the tournament with a sizzling friendly encounter that is set to put their championship credentials through the paces.The Three Lions and La Furia Roja have not met in an official game since the 1996 Euro clash in the quarter-finals, where the whites came out top in the shoot-outs. Since then, the two nations have met in five friendlies, the latest in November 2011 where a Frank Lampard goal earned England a slender 1-0 victory at Wembley.As the swords are being drawn for an unprecedented sixth time, we take a look at an enticing combined XI featuring the best from Spain and England of today.

#1 Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas

Spain legend Iker Casillas continues to rule the roost under the bar for his nation as the former Real Madrid shot-stopper is all set to put on the Spanish gloves for a stonking 165th time in his international career. Following his gloomy departure from the Spanish capital for a new sojourn in Porto, the veteran goalkeeper has been away from the glare of the public eye.

Nevertheless, Casillas remains one of the best in the business and it cannot be better summed up with Spain manager Vincente del Bosque still pinning his hopes on the 34-yea- old who has regained his verve in between the sticks after the debacle in Brazil last year.

The game against England should be a litmus test to his creaking legs against the challenge of high-profile teams and his ability to perform in the same vein when the tournament proper gets off the ground.

#2 Defence

With no Daniel Carvajal in the fold, the next best right-back available is the young gun of Liverpool Nathaniel Clyne, who is currently making his mark on the international front. The diminutive full-back made a slow start to his career on Merseyside, but eventually developed into being one of the foremost names on the teamsheet.

The former Southampton man is known for his crisp tackles and close man-marking. And with 8 international caps already, he is set to go a long way with the Three Lions in years to come.

Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique led by an example in the defence as he played a starring role in Barcelona’s second treble of their history last season. Following a stuttering start to the new campaign, he is hitting his stride again.

Pique brings the silk and steel that makes a defence hard to breach, and his towering stature allows him to bully his opponents while also posing a threat in the air. So if England are to avoid conceding from set-pieces, he is the one to keep an eye on.

Joining Pique at the heart of the defence is Chris Smalling, who has been one of the consistent performers for Manchester United amidst their erratic run this season. The centre-back is currently enjoying the form of his life and was a pivotal figure during United's run of five games in all competitions without conceding a goal.

Smalling appears to be man to plug the gaps in the centre-back position for England that were left by some legendary names such as Rio Ferdinand and Jamie Carragher. And Red Devils gaffer Louis van Gaal has even pipped the former Fulham defender to take over the captaincy at United in the future.

Completing the defensive phalanx is Barcelona left-back Jordi Alba who has grown into one of the best full-backs within a short span of time. Following his heroics in Euro 2012, where he even scored in the 4-0 hammering of Italy in the final, Alba relocated to the Catalan capital from Valencia where he has been a regular feature.

The 26-year-old is known for his slaloms down the flanks with electrifying pace and has a penchant to weigh in with a goal or two out of the blue, as shown in the qualifying campaign.

#3 Midfield

Andres Iniesta (R) and Santi Cazorla

Barcelona warhorse Andres Iniesta continues to be one of the leading members for his club and country although age is fast catching up with the midfield maestro. Iniesta has seen his time cut out at both Barcelona and Spain, with younger talents emerging through the ranks.

But the patron saint of passing remains an able string-puller in the middle of the park on any given day.

Following an acrimonious departure from Liverpool, Raheem Sterling has been making waves with his new side Manchester City, where the England dynamite has accrued 7 goals and an assist in 19 starts across all competitions.

The 19-year-old struck twice during the qualifiers in 7 appearances and also had a hand in another. But he will see his talent being brought under the microscope against the top shouts of Spain.

Another English man to man the midfield in this lineup is Manchester United skipper Wayne Rooney, who is currently mired in a deep swamp of struggles. The most prolific striker in the history of England has had his fair share of trials and tribulations in front of the goal for his club, and questions are being drawn over his right position to operate from.

Wayne Rooney (R) and Raheem Sterling

Rooney has been deployed as an attacking midfielder, as a winger and even as a conventional no.9. But the United old guard has failed to find the target in many games this season. But with a formidable tally of 7 goals in the qualifiers, Rooney can look to find his form again with another sterling performance in the white of England.

Arsenal star Santi Cazorla had been in and out of form for the Gunners last term but has found some consistency in the ongoing season that has helped him leave a mark many a times for Arsenal.

Although goals have been hard to come by, Cazorla has still left his influence by stemming the creativity for his side, creating chances a plenty, and even on the international front he has played a significant part in Spain’s sails.

#4 Forwards: Kane-Alcacer

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane is once again set to be the torch-bearer for the visitors as Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck miss out on account of injuries. A goal-rich 2014/15 campaign saw Kane being called up by Roy Hodgson and he took just 80 seconds to make his mark when he struck against Lithuania after coming on as a substitute on his debut.

Although Kane got the new season off to a whimper, failing to find the net in the first 10 games in all competitions, the 21-year-old is finding his shooting boots again after 6 goals in last 4 games for the Lillywhites.

Now the time has come for him to shine for the Three Lions as Kane hasn’t showed up against the bigwigs of Europe so far. And the game against Spain comes as a real opportunity for him to make a statement.

With Diego Costa still struggling to find his footing for his adopted country, Paco Alcacer has stepped up to the plate and filled the void left by the prolific striker David Villa. The Valencia hitman struck five times in eight appearances in the Euro qualifiers and finished group C as the joint-highest scorer with Slovakia’s Marek Hamsik.

Alcacer has been an evergreen scorer for his club Valencia and has now slotted into Spain setup seamlessly. His exploits in front of the goal should keep him ahead of Costa in the pecking order, and can even have a huge say in La Roja’s fortunes in France next summer as Del Bosque himself sees Alcacer as a crucial member in attack.