With the semi-finals almost upon us, it is time to have some fun and look at what a combined XI of the teams involved would look like. First up is France vs Spain, two sides who boast some of the best talent in the world at each position. Making a lineup like this is not easy, and naturally involves some compromise. Here is what we’ve got.
Note: The goal of making this XI is to have a plausible lineup that could actually work. So you won’t see six attacking players and zero midfielders included just
to see more talent on the pitch. Even so, changes have been made and some liberties taken to get certain players on the pitch at the same time.
Attack
Striker: Ousmane Dembélé (France)
As a versatile forward that can play on any part of the pitch, Dembélé often started as a striker for Paris Saint-Germain, so he gets the nod at this position. This frees up the RW spot for a certain someone, but we’re getting to that.
A fast and dynamic dribbler with a sense for goal, Dembélé would make the combined XI of almost any team, not just this one. His ability to drift out wide adds versatility and opens up the possibility of interplay with his teammates, as well as new 2v1 opportunities on the wing. An absolute nightmare scenario for defenders.
Left wing: Kylian Mbappé (France)
Hold on, there is a logic to this. Even if his position says it’s on the left, Mbappé always drifts centrally regardless. He is not, however, an Erling Haaland, and does not function as a pure #9. In fact he has more in common with a winger.
With an offense-oriented left-back (no spoilers) and Dembélé to drift wide and make room, Mbappé should be just as effective as a left-sided forward as he is in the striker role.
Right wing: Lamine Yamal (Spain)
If not for him, the offense would just consist of Frenchmen. In fact, the need to include Yamal is why Dembélé and Mbappé were shifted one position to the left. You really can’t have a combined French-Spanish XI without him.
Yamal is perhaps the most lethal dribbler in world football right now. The 19-year-old has struggled so far in this World Cup, owing to the lingering effects of a hamstring injury suffered near the end of the club season. He currently lacks the pure explosiveness he is known for. Despite this, most teams choose to double (or even triple) team him at every opportunity. He is the most dangerous player in the Spanish XI.
In a starting lineup surrounded by attackers just as good or better than him, Yamal would enjoy more space and time than he is used to. He could reach a level of performance he simply cannot show with Spain or FC Barcelona.
Attacking midfield: Michael Olise (France)
While he plays right wing for Bayern Munich and it’s probably his best position, Michael Olise is still one of the best players in the world as an attacking midfielder. Blessed with unrivaled vision and exquisite technical ability, Olise is really the perfect forward for any coach. He can score, he can assist, he can dribble, he can progress the ball, and he gets back to defend incredibly well.
With Olise feeding Dembélé, Mbappé, and Yamal, this might be the best combination of active attacking players you could field right now. Not a single defense could stop them.
Midfield
Central midfield: Pedri (Spain)
Having a nuclear attacking lineup is all well and good, but someone needs to get the ball to them. That is where Pedri comes in. He is the perfect player to link attack and defense, making sure the ball progresses up the pitch.
Defensive midfield: Rodri (Spain)
Rodri is not the same player he was when he won the Ballon d’Or, but he is still plenty good. Putting him at the base of this XI would give it a solid defensive spine to support that lethal attacking quartet. With Pedri as his partner, you can be sure that this XI would dominate any midfield battle and suffocate the opponent with overwhelming possession.
Defense
Left-back: Marc Cucurella (Spain)
Cucurella, love him or hate him (and a lot of people do, especially Germany fans), is one of the best left-backs in the world right now and an auto-include in any combined XI. An excellent two-way player, he spends games bombing up and down the flank to support his paired winger on offense.
In a hypothetical lineup like this, where Mbappé would prefer to invert centrally, Cucurella’s presence provides crucial width on the left hand side of the pitch.
Right-back: Jules Koundé (France)
A solid and defensively disciplined right-back, Jules Koundé already has experience linking up with Lamine Yamal from their time together at FC Barcelona. It would be child’s play to slot him into this combined XI, where he already has chemistry with a large number of his teammates.
Central defense: Dayot Upamecano (France) and William Saliba (Spain)
Is there any center-back better than Dayot Upamecano right now? Almost certainly not. He has shown it for Bayern Munich and he is doing it again for France.
The 27-year-old has the technical qualities of a midfield playmaker, the pace and 1v1 defending ability of a fullback, and the physicality and positioning sense expected of a world class central defender. He is an even more complete player than he was at his last World Cup, where his team made the final.
Pairing him is William Saliba, coming off an excellent season with Arsenal and proving a competent deputy for the French national team. Between these two and Rodri, this combined XI boasts a stalwart defensive core to complement the attack.
Goalkeeper: Joan Garcia (Spain)
Possibly the most controversial pick here. Unai Simón starts for Spain, but not because he is the best they have. Coach Luis de la Fuente trusts him because he was the man who won them the Euros. In terms of pure quality, Joan Garcia is probably ahead of him.
So what about Mike Maignan? He’s quite good, but not on the level of Garcia. Strange to put a bench player in a combined XI, but sometimes that’s how it goes.
Coach
Didier Deschamps (France)
With one World Cup trophy and another runners-up medal under his belt, Deschamps’ record with the French national team is beyond reproach. What he lacks in the tactical acumen of someone like Julian Nagelsmann, he makes up for with robust lineups and squad cohesion. His French teams are never innovative, but they don’t need to be.
He is the type of coach who gets the job done.
Who would you put in your combined XI? Comment below!
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