Barcelona and Real Madrid will face off in Catalunya on Saturday, but who would make a team made up of the two super-talented squads?

Has there been a more evenly matched Clasico in recent memory? Both Barcelona and Real Madrid have their strengths and weaknesses, and just one point separates them after 10 matches of La Liga's season. In fact, those strengths and weaknesses also match up quite well.

Madrid are stacked in the engine room, blessed with six top-class central midfielders to fit into four positions. Barca, meanwhile, have a superb defensive unit and are dangerous on the wings, with Xavi's a team comprised of some of the best young talent in Europe at crucial positions.

Given Madrid's slight edge in the early weeks of the title race, Barca will feel they need to pick up three points at home. But it may not be that easy. The Blaugrana are dealing with a number of injury problems, and are rushing some of their game-changing talents back to fitness.

Carlo Ancelotti's side have injury issues of their own, with Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao unlikely to play much of, if any of the rest of the season after suffering serious knee problems at the very start of the campaign.

So with that in mind, and looking at current form, who would make a combined XI for this latest Clasico? GOAL has had a go at picking the best possible team…

Getty ImagesGK: Marc-Andre ter Stegen

There might be a real contest here had Courtois not torn his ACL before the 2023-24 season started. But Madrid replaced him with Kepa Arrizabalaga, who simply isn't of the same quality as Germany's No.1.

Ter Stegen has actually struggled somewhat early in the campaign, making a few uncharacteristic mistakes. That has led to him keeping just five clean sheets and conceding half as many goals as he did over the course of the entire 2022-23 campaign. Still, Ter Stegen has shown in moments that he is still undoubtedly one of the best in the world.

AdvertisementRB: Joao Cancelo

Cancelo has offered an upgrade at a position where Barca didn't really seem to need one. Jules Kounde filled the right-back role admirably last year, but always made it clear that he felt more comfortable in the middle.

That said, Man City loanee Cancelo has offered the kind of creative spark from deep that the Blaugrana were lacking last year, causing problems with his incisive passing and dribbling ability. Add his late winner against Celta Vigo, and the Portuguese already looks like one of the signings of the summer.

Dani Carvajal, admittedly, deserves a shout here, too. The Madrid full-back looks reborn this campaign — more like a younger version of himself. Still, Cancelo has simply been more important.

Getty Images CB: Ronald Araujo

Araujo hasn't been at his best to start the season. Whether it be injuries or an odd slip up, the centre-back hasn't captured his scintillating 2022-23 form. But he has still been better than any of the other centre-backs that Barca have to offer. Dominant in the air, excellent one-on-one, and composed on the ball, Araujo is a perfect modern central defender — and will only improve.

A fit Militao would certainly push him for selection here, but with the Madrid man out for the year after sustaining a serious knee injury, there is only one option to lead this backline.

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GettyCB: Antonio Rudiger

Rudiger started the season as Madrid's third-choice centre-back. It was assumed that both David Alaba and Militao would keep him out of the side, making the former Chelsea man a squad player as Madrid looked to reclaim the Liga title.

Instead, he has become a crucial part of a makeshift defence. With Militao done for the year and Alaba sidelined with a muscle problem, Rudiger has stepped up immensely. His one-on-one chops and ball-carrying ability are near unrivalled in the Spanish top-flight, while he has also improved as a passer.

Andreas Christensen has certainly enjoyed some good moments for the Blaugrana, while Kounde has impressed in spells. But Rudiger is a top-tier, reliable presence at the back that any team would love to have.

After reaching the semi-finals against the odds last season, Arsenal's absence from the 2023-24 Women's Champions League is a serious blow

The tears that streamed down Manuela Zinsberger's face at full time told you everything you needed to know about the magnitude of Arsenal's defeat to Paris FC on Saturday.

In the second game of their Women's Champions League qualification tournament, victory over the French side would have put the Gunners a two-legged win away from progressing to the competition proper. But some comedy defending condemned Jonas Eidevall's side to an embarrassing, early exit.

Showing their trademark steely determination, Arsenal pulled themselves back from the abyss on two occasions, with goals from Jen Beattie and Alessia Russo sending the game to extra time and then penalties respectively.

But thanks to World Cup breakout star Chiamaka Nnadozie in the Paris FC goal, the underdogs triumphed in the shootout, with Russo and Frida Maanum seeing their efforts saved. Eidevall was quick to offer up an explanation for his side's underperformance after the game.

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  Hard to accept excuses

  "We knew from the beginning this mini tournament was going to be really tough, for a number of reasons," Eidevall said.

  "One is that Paris is a really good team, another part is the really limited preparation time and playing on a 3G pitch that we are not really used to. So we knew there were external factors that were going to make this complicated and you only get one shot."

  There is clearly some validity to the extenuating circumstances offered by Eidevall. Arsenal's pre-season has indeed been a bit of a mess, with the timing of the fixture list preventing them from playing any warm-up matches before the vital qualification tournament started.

  Indeed, Eidevall added: "I think most managers prefer to play one or two friendly games before you play competitive matches, I think that is normal. There is a reason it looks like that everywhere around the world and I am not different from those other managers."

  The artificial playing surface was far from ideal too, while Paris FC are no slouches, even if they did finish a distant third behind France's big two last season.

  Despite all of this, these excuses are still pretty hard to accept. Arsenal have vastly superior resources to Paris FC and even though they remain without several big names through injury, they really should have had enough to win the tournament.

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  So much work squandered

  What makes Arsenal's early exit so frustrating is that they have overcome far greater challenges in their recent history.

  The Gunners were without Leah Williamson, Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead for a significant portion of the 2022-23 season due to ACL ruptures, while Laura Wienroither suffered the same injury towards the end of the campaign. Captain Kim Little, Rafaelle and Lia Walti were also absent at various points due to various complaints.

  Despite their squad being decimated by injuries, Arsenal defiantly fought their way to a third-place WSL finish, edging out Manchester City on goal difference on the final day despite losing their last two games.

  Securing a top-three finish is made to look even more impressive when you consider that Arsenal were battling for league points alongside making a deep run in Europe. After topping their group, which contained then-holders Lyon, they were drawn against eventual Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.

  Losing the first leg 1-0, the Gunners rallied in front of a 20,000-plus crowd in north London, booking their place in the final four thanks to goals from Frida Maanum and Stina Blackstenius. This set up a huge semi-final clash against Wolfsburg.

  The two sides played out a pulsating 2-2 draw in Germany, with Arsenal recovering from a nightmare first half to grab a draw. More than 60,000 supporters packed into the Emirates for the return leg, where Arsenal's threadbare squad eventually ran out of a steam. With the scores level at 2-2 deep into extra time, a evidently exhausted Lotte Wubben-Moy made a fatal error, gifting Pauline Bremer the opportunity to send Wolfsburg to the final.

  To go so close to reaching a European final, and secure third spot despite an unprecedented injury crisis, was nothing short of remarkable. Arsenal were supposed to reap the rewards for their hard work this season, seizing another opportunity to triumph on the continent with a revitalised squad.

  However, due to their failure in Sweden, there will be no Champions League nights to savour this season.

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  No more special nights under the lights

  That will sting harshly for Arsenal, who tapped into a new legion of supporters through the competition better than any other WSL side last season. After steadily building attendances through the group stages, the 21,307 fans who attended the Bayern game gave the team a much-needed boost.

  Eidevall confirmed as much after the match, saying: "I think it's an amazing atmosphere and moment every time we can go out and play in front of big crowds and especially with our Arsenal supporters. So we're grateful for it. And it's a massive part of the strong performance that we had against Bayern Munich."

  Things snowballed against Wolfsburg, with the women's team selling out the Emirates Stadium for the first time ever. After the record ticket sales were confirmed, Eidevall beamed: "I hope we look back on this in history that we see it as one of the starting points where this became a regular occurrence. We have taken every opportunity since I have been here to go to the Emirates. That has always been the preference to go there. The more we play there, the more it feels like home."

  And herein lies the problem. Although Arsenal have committed to hosting a record five WSL games at the Emirates, their Champions League failure has robbed the women's side of further opportunities to play away from their regular Meadow Park home.

  Although this shortfall could be compensated by moving some latter-stage Conti Cup and FA Cup matches to the larger stadium, these competitions hardly have the same glamour as the Champions League. It's a massively frustrating situation for the club, who will be desperate to ensure the momentum built up last season does not dissipate.

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  Disaster for Russo

  No player will have felt the pain of Arsenal's Champions League exit more than summer signing Russo. After completing her much-discussed move from Manchester United in the summer, the forward specifically cited the possibility for more nights like the Wolfsburg game as one of her reasons for making the switch to north London.

  "I think the growth of the women's game has been incredible, but particularly at a club like Arsenal." she said. "The sell-out against Wolfsburg at the Emirates last season was fantastic, and I'm just really excited to be part of this club."

  Russo also pointed to the Gunners' trophy-winning potential, so crashing out of one competition before it's even got properly going will hurt. Seeing former club United make it to the group stages – they have to win a two-legged tie next month to do so – would only heighten this pain.

  Regardless, Russo's wait to experience Champions League football is guaranteed to continue for at least one more season.

Warren Zaire-Emery had a bittersweet France debut as he scored and then got injured inside 20 minutes against Gibraltar in a Euro 2024 qualifier.

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Zaire-Emery scores against GibraltarYoungest French scorer in more than a centuryTeenager forced off with injury early onGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The 17-year-old started against the European minnows on Saturday night and got on the scoresheet in fine style with a clinical finish after 17 minutes to make it 3-0, following own goals from Ethan Santos and Aymen Mouelhi.

However, his evening was cut short when Santos scythed him down as he swept the ball home. A VAR review followed and the Gibraltar defender was sent off. The Paris Saint-Germain wonderkid, meanwhile, was forced from the field with an ankle injury in the 20th minute.

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Zaire-Emery is seen as the next big thing in France. He is already a regular at PSG and now he is a French international at the tender age of 17. He is now the third youngest French scorer for the national side behind Maurice Gastiger (also 17) and Julien Verbrugghe (16) – with the duo playing back in 1914 and 1906 respectively.

Incidentally, PSG will hope the teenager's injury is not a serious one as they try to win Ligue 1 once again and mount a serious challenge in the Champions League.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR FRANCE?

France are next in action on Tuesday when they travel to Greece for their final Euro 2024 qualifier. Zaire-Emery will hope to be fit for that clash, but if not, they host Monaco in Ligue 1 on Friday.

Leicester star Jamie Vardy channeled his inner Emmanuel Adebayor when he ran the full length of the pitch to celebrate in front of Bristol City fans.

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• Vardy scored penalty for Foxes
• Celebrated in front of away fans
• Reminiscent of Adebayor moment

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The striker tucked home a penalty to put Leicester 1-0 up in the King Power Stadium on Saturday. Vardy, 36, then ran all the way down to the other end of the stadium to celebrate in front of the 3,300 Bristol fans in attendance.

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  It is believed that Vardy made the long run to the away end to cheer in the faces of the opposition supporters because they had been singing about his wife during the match. Leicester went on to win the game 1-0, making it three straight victories in the Championship. The Foxes are top of the table and nine points above Bristol, who are in eighth place.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Vardy's celebration was reminiscent of Adebayor's famous sprint down the field to celebrate in front of Arsenal fans after his goal for Manchester City in 2009. The striker left Arsenal to join City and slid on his knees in front of the Gunners fans and he later clarified it was in response to racist chants he heard.

  “I remember getting to the stadium and Arsenal fans were there. All I heard was the the chant ‘Your mother is a whore and your father washes elephants', he told in 2019. "My father worked in currency exchange and my mother is a businesswoman. But this went on and on. So how can I reply? I didn’t have a voice to go against thousands of supporters."

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Vardy and his Leicester team-mates face a difficult challenge in their next game, coming up against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

The gold Adidas Predator boots worn by David Beckham when winning his 100th cap for England are expected to sell for £10,000 at auction.

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Iconic figure made 115 appearances for his countryCaptained the Three Lions on 59 occasionsNow working with Lionel Messi in MLSGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The Manchester United legend, who now works with Lionel Messi in MLS as co-owner of Inter Miami, reached a century of outings for his country when taking in a friendly date with France in Paris on March 26, 2008.

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Beckham, who would go on to earn 115 caps for the Three Lions, suffered a 1-0 defeat at Stade de France against the likes of Franck Ribery, Nicolas Anelka, William Gallas and Claude Makelele – with England having already failed to qualify for that summer’s European Championship.

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

The night was a memorable one, though, as he became only the fifth Englishman to reach 100 international appearances. Said occasion was marked by a pair of custom boots that featured St George’s Crosses and the names of the three children that he had at the time with pop star wife Victoria – Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz.

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WHAT THEY SAID

The boots in question are now set to go under the hammer, with a starting bid tabled of £4,600. David Convery, head of sporting memorabilia at Northamptonshire-based Graham Budd Auctions, has said of the lot: “David Beckham is not only an iconic player, but you could also argue that he started the 'style revolution' with this type of golden boot. These boots are already attracting attention on a global stage and we wouldn't be surprised if they reached or even went beyond their estimated price.”

Having been released by Madrid in June, the Belgian has now confirmed his retirement following a spate of injury problems

How did we get here? Eden Hazard made a massive-money move from Chelsea to Real Madrid in June 2019, and appeared poised to be the next face of La Liga, the latest Galactico to walk out at Santiago Bernabeu and impose himself as one of Europe's greats.

Los Blancos, remember, had lost Cristiano Ronaldo a year previous, and with Gareth Bale struggling for fitness and Vinicius Jr. yet to find his feet, Hazard seemed set to be Madrid's winger of the future. And at 28, he still had plenty of football left.

Four years later, Hazard isn't in a Madrid shirt anymore. He won't even play football again after announcing his retirement at the age of 32 on Tuesday. The Belgian scored just seven goals, and added a meagre 12 assists during his injury-ravaged spell in the Spanish capital. He only managed 76 appearances and failed to ever better the production of his best season at Stamford Bridge. To say that he was a disappointment was an understatement.

Some of this, of course, was of Hazard's own making. The winger was irresponsible at times, failing to look after himself and drawing the ire of Madrid fans for a questionable commitment to the shirt. But he was also immensely unlucky, a victim of a recurring ankle injury that limited the trickery and explosiveness of his earlier days.

It all amounted to an opportunity wasted, transfer budget spurned, and a career cut short for a player who should have been one of the game's greats. GOAL takes a look at where it all went wrong for Hazard at Madrid…

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  June 2019: Big-money move

  Despite having been their poster boy for over half a decade, Chelsea were effectively powerless to keep Hazard when he left for Real Madrid in June 2019. He had only one year left on his contract, and amid something of a stand-off, Los Blancos were able to swoop in.

  The result was a massive initial €100 million (£88m/$107m) transfer agreement, and subsequent €600,000(£530,000/$640,000)-per-week salary.

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  July 2019: Showing up overweight

  The Belgian hardly made a good impression at the nexus of his Madrid career. Hazard showed up to training overweight, a fact that served as instant ammunition for social media trolls and sceptics.

  He later admitted that he was five kilograms heavier than he should have been, and revealed that he tends to gain and lose weight frequently, especially during pre-season.

• October 2019: Early form

  His intial performances on the pitch, though, quashed any notions that his fitness would be an immediate issue. Hazard needed a few weeks to bed in, but by October was fit and firing for Los Blancos.

  He played crucial roles in a duo of La Liga contests, starring against first Eiber and then Real Sociedad. While he didn't score or assist in either, the Hazard of Chelsea — mazy dribbles, incisive passes and all — was well on display.

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• November 2019: One foul changes things

  The foul that would go on to change the course of Hazard's footballing career didn't appear to be serious. Paris Saint-Germain's Thomas Meunier, his Belgium team-mate, swept Hazard's legs as he spun away from the full-back. Hazard's ankle got trapped awkwardly under Meunier's foot, and he could hardly walk as he was escorted off the pitch.

  Unfortunately for Hazard, Meunier had taken out an ankle that had been a cause of persistent pain. He had fractured it a few years before, and although he made a full recovery, something was now clearly wrong.

Real Madrid comfortably beat Napoli 4–2 on Wednesday to secure the top spot in their Champions League group, with Jude Bellingham impressing again.

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Real Madrid win 4-2 over NapoliBellingham first Madrid player to score four in four CL gamesAncelotti praises Englishman's workrateGetty WHAT HAPPENED?

Fourteen-time champions Madrid defeated the visiting Italian champions in a thrilling match to claim first place after they had already qualified for the knockout stages on the previous matchday. Bellingham gave Madrid the lead after 22 minutes with a fantastic header that went over Alex Meret and in the net after David Alaba found him with a lovely cross. Bellingham is now the team's top scorer with four Champions League goals in just four games for Madrid, and a total of 15 goals in 16 appearances this season.

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After the game, the veteran Italian manager was all praises for the English midfielder as he talked about his ability to arrive in the box from deep spaces.

"He's spectacular in getting into the box, he comes into the box like a motorbike," he told Movistar Plus [via The Athletic]. "It's surprising because nobody could have imagined such fast adaptation here, to this club and the football he is showing. He surprises the fans, teammates and even rivals."

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On the night, Bellingham also became the first Real Madrid player to score four goals in his first four games for the club in the Champions League. He also managed to register an assist from the game as Joselu grabbed Madrid's fourth of the night to secure their win and top spot.

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Getty Images WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

After confirming their presence in the first pot of the Round of 16 draw, Madrid can now completely shift their focus to La Liga as they currently lead the standings, level on points with Girona.

Cristiano Ronaldo fooled the Al-Wedha goalkeeper during his latest outing for Al-Nassr, allowing Alex Telles to curl home a spectacular free-kick.

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• Telles off the mark for Al-Nassr
• Helped by smart thinking from Ronaldo
• Al-Nassr run out 3-1 winners

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  With the ball spotted some 25 yards from goal, making a shooting opportunity very much on, the expectation was that Portuguese superstar Ronaldo would try his luck. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner marked out his run up and appeared all set to unleash a long-range effort.

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  With all eyes fixed on Ronaldo, the distraction technique worked a treat as former Manchester United left-back Telles stepped up instead to catch everybody by surprise. Even as he was making his way towards the ball, Al-Wedha were ready for a dummy that would ultimately result in Ronaldo whipping in a right-footed effort.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Morocco international Munir Mohamedi was left rooted to the spot as Telles curled a spectacular strike over the wall with his left foot, and into the bottom corner of the net. The Brazilian wheeled away in celebration, with Ronaldo in hot pursuit as Al-Nassr’s clever set-piece plan played out to perfection.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Ronaldo was also among the goals against Al-Wedha, as he put the finishing touches to a comfortable 3-1 win. The 38-year-old all-time great has now found the target on 22 occasions this season through 23 appearances in all competitions.

Manchester United and Tottenham are reportedly leading the race to sign young Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite in the summer window.

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Several European elites interested in BranthwaiteRed Devils & Spurs leading the pack Ratcliffe wants two young centre-backs in the summer GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Despite interest from several top clubs including Chelsea, Arsenal, and Real Madrid, and the reports that the Red Devils and Spurs are currently at the forefront in their pursuit of the 21-year-old defender. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is reportedly keen on adding two young center-backs to their squad in the upcoming transfer window. Branthwaite's profile aligns with their focus on homegrown talent, and his left-sided positioning addresses a specific requirement outlined by manager Erik ten Hag for defensive balance.

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While Branthwaite remains a primary target for Manchester United, the club is also exploring alternative options in the centre-back position. Players like Antonio Silva from Benfica, Jean-Clair Todibo from Nice, and Leny Yoro from Lille are also under consideration.

DID YOU KNOW?

The potential transfer fee for Branthwaite could depend on Everton's league status by the end of the season. The Toffees are currently struggling in the Premier League and sit 18th in the table with 19 points. If they go down to the Championship, the Branthwaite could be sold at a discounted rate.

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(C)GettyImagesWHAT NEXT?

United aim to compete at the highest level both in England and in Europe under Ratcliffe and the next summer could see an influx of new faces. Branthwaite could potentially be a replacement for Raphael Varane as the French defender is reportedly considering offers from the Middle East.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic took the opportunity to boast about his Ferrari collection during the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix.

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• Ibrahimovic attends Las Vegas Grand Prix
• Former striker reveals Ferrari collection
• Swede could return to AC Milan

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The great and good of the sports and showbiz worlds watched Max Verstappen win the first-ever Las Vegas Grand Prix. Never one to shy away from the spotlight, Ibrahimovic was front and centre. The former striker was in the pits ahead of the race when he spoke to Sky Sports about Ferrari.

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• WHAT IBRAHIMOVIC SAID

  When asked what he made of the set-up in Las Vegas, Ibrahimovic said: "It looks good, it's very exciting. I'm looking forward to the race. Ferrari is my team." When reporter Martin Brundle suggested the star has a few Ferraris in his collection, he replied: "Yes, several of them."

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  Ibrahimovic was joined in Las Vegas by a host of famous names including Brad Pitt, Rod Stewart and Inter Miami owner David Beckham. Unfortunately for the former AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and LA Galaxy star, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc had to settle for a second-place finish behind Red Bull's Verstappen.