![]() Rejuvenated under Flick, the raumdeuter (space investigator) probably would have earned inclusion had he gone up against any attacking midfielder other than Iniesta. Midfield: Andres Iniesta vs Thomas MullerĪfter a worrying dip in form following the 2018 World Cup, Muller got back to his best in 2019-20 to help Bayern make history. He set the tempo of Barcelona’s game and enabled them to dominate games from start to finish.Īlthough Goretzka is selected ahead of Thiago here, Xavi would beat either of them head-to-head. Although Messi is the star and figurehead of the team, without the football brain of Xavi, none of this would have worked. Thiago left Barcelona because it seemed there was no way past the legendary Xavi, who racked up 25 assists in the 2008-09 season. In this line-up he edges out Thiago, who was integral for Bayern through his time in Bavaria but has since moved on to Liverpool and Bayern have completed the sextuple without him. Leon Goretzka, a box-to-box powerhouse, netted in the UEFA Super Cup win over Sevilla and helps Bayern win the ball back from opponents. Two quite different midfielders but both essential for their teams. Busquets takes it, but just by a whisker. Not only does he work extremely hard but he has great tactical intelligence and versatility, becoming one of the world’s best midfielders from a full-back. He just beats out Toure for a place here too.īayern’s Kimmich, meanwhile, is one of the most underrated players in the modern game. The Ivorian was still important for the Catalans in other positions, including central defence, but the taki-taka Guardiola created was dependent on Busquets’s ball circulation skills. ![]() The fact that Busquets ousted Yaya Toure from his defensive midfield position at Barcelona speaks for itself. Mdfield: Sergio Busquets vs Joshua Kimmich ![]() When he’s at his dynamic best though, like in the 8-2 Champions League quarter-final win over Barcelona, he is unstoppable. However he missed the Copa del Rey and Champions League finals through suspension.īayern’s Davies was a nightmare for defenders to face through the 2019-20 campaign, even though his form has slipped this year. Alaba also scored the opening goal in the DFB Pokal win over Bayer Leverkusen last July.Ībidal is a Barcelona legend and was one of the main beneficiaries of Guardiola’s management, improving rapidly. However, Alaba is a player at his peak and has been vital for Bayern Munich, playing as a converted centre back and keeping Neymar and Kylian Mbappe quiet in the Champions League final. Pique, in his early 20s, enjoyed a remarkable return from Manchester United to slot straight into the side and perform admirably well. However Barcelona’s ‘eternal captain’ wins this battle of the World Cup winners for a place in football history. Puyol was the leader and the lynchpin of Barcelona’s defence, the lion heart of Guardiola’s side.īoateng has done remarkably well to revive his career, not only after Messi left him for dead in 2015, but after Niko Kovac dropped him in 2019. He forged a special connection with Lionel Messi. ![]() The former Barcelona defender was an assist machine for the Catalans and they have not yet been able to replace him. It was Bayern right-back Benjamin Pavard who scored the goal which completed Bayern’s sextuple, but the French defender, benched for the Champions League final as Joshua Kimmich took over, is no match for Brazilian dynamo Dani Alves. The German is one of the few goalkeepers who is utterly compelling to watch. Manuel Neuer has taken what Valdes did and both expanded the role and near-enough perfected it. Two sweeper-keepers and although Valdes was a fine fit for Barcelona’s style, this is one of the clearer-cut decisions. Goalkeeper: Victor Valdes vs Manuel Neuer However, Goal has decided to run the rule over both teams to determine which squad was stronger man-for-man. Unfortunately, such a classic contest is impossible, given many members of Guardiola's era-changing Barca team have since retired. "Tell me when and where and we will be there!” So, maybe I can call (Lionel) Messi & Co. “Before you, there was another team, Barcelona. “I would like to say to Hansi that you are the second team to win the six titles in a row!” Guardiola enthused in a video message on Twitter.
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