Atletico Madrid vs Liverpool - Combined XI | UEFA Champions League 2021-22
In a clash of European heavyweights, Atletico Madrid and Liverpool square off at the Wanda Metropolitano on Tuesday for a UEFA Champions League game.
The sides meet for the first time since the Rojiblancos knocked the then-defending champions out in the last-16 of the 2019/20 season following a stunning 4-2 aggregate victory.
The Reds will, of course, have revenge on their minds as the sides now battle it out for top spot in Group B.
They currently lead Diego Simeone's charges by two points, having won both their games so far, but a loss in Madrid would hand the Spanish champions the initiative.
It hasn't been the most convincing start to their La Liga title defense, but Los Rojiblancos have picked up form lately.
One year ago today, Atletico Madrid came back to defeat the defending UEFA Champions League winners Liverpool in extra time 3-2 (4-2 on aggregate) to advance to the #UCL quarterfinals. https://t.co/E6tcFl2ZPy
They beat both Milan and Barcelona in back-to-back games before heading into the international break and now, had a weekend off too, owing to a postponement of their league fixture.
Either way, it promises to be an entertaining encounter, and ahead of the mouth-watering kick-off, let's see how Atletico and Liverpool stack up in a combined XI:
Goalkeeper: Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid)
This was arguably the toughest position to choose from, as selecting one of Jan Oblak and Alisson is never an easy task.
Both goalkeepers are the best in their respective leagues and thoroughly valuable to their respective sides.
However, we've picked the Slovenian for our best XI purely on the basis of his consistency in the last seven years.
Unlike Alisson, or any other goalkeeper for that matter, Oblak never has a bad game. It's a well-established fact.
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ΒΏEl mejor portero de la #UCL? https://t.co/cDlcjlOaUO
He's always in top form, stepping up to the plate for Atletico Madrid week in, week out, showing outstanding positioning, composure, work-rate and leadership in their defense.
His record for the club is beyond spectacular - Oblak has kept 163 clean sheets in 313 games for them in all competitions.
The 28-year-old will face the toughest examination of his skills so far this season against free-scoring Liverpool.