A jaw-dropping combined XI of Luis Enrique’s Barcelona & PSG teams | OneFootball

Luis Enrique has been manager of not one but two of the best sides in European football history – but who makes a combined XI?

His Barcelona treble-winning side may well be eclipsed by his current PSG team, which is on for another Champions League title.

Here’s who we picked for a combined team, lining up in a 4-3-3 formation.

GK: Marc-Andre ter Stegen

With Gianluigi Donnarumma now at City, the goalkeeper spot goes to Ter Stegen.

The German was a genuinely incredible shot-stopper and had an ability to save shots at a time when all hope looked lost.

Being a Barcelona player meant he was also very good on the ball and he stayed between the Camp Nou sticks for eight years.

RB: Achraf Hakimi

In many ways, Dani Alves redefined the role of full back but the groundwork he laid has been picked up by the likes of Hakimi and improved upon.

He is ridiculously fast and contributes a great deal in the final third. The Moroccan has been a mainstay in Enrique’s side and deserves his spot in this one.

CB: Gerard Pique

An easy pick at centre back with Pique one of the best of his generation.

Playing in that Barcelona team demanded that you be competent on the ball but perhaps more than the likes of Sergio Ramos was, Pique was also a very good defender.

By this point, his right-hand man Carles Puyol had retired but Piqué grew into the role of leader and was a defensive rock at the back for Barcelona.

CB: Willian Pacho

Choosing a centre back partnership for Gerard Pique can be a little hard as there is not an outstanding candidate.

With Marquinhos, who has had a few dodgy moments over the years, and converted midfielder Javier Mascherano as the alternatives, we are instead going to go for Willian Pacho who is one of the most highly rated defensive prospects in Europe.

He’s only 24 and Luis Enrique suggested he “enhanced” the play of others around him. High praise.

LB: Jordi Alba

Another few years and Nuno Mendes may well eclipse him but for now, we are giving the full back spot to Alba.

The Spaniard was the definition of a flying full back and assisted 99 goals in his Barcelona days, scoring 27 as well.

He won the lot at the Camp Nou and deserves his spot in this team.

CDM: Sergio Busquets

An easy pick with Busquets arguably the best defensive midfielder to ever play the game.

Listen to any player from that era and they will tell you that no one else had the ability to dictate a game and start counter-attacks in the way that Busquets could.

The Spaniard would rob you of possession and before you had even realised, had laid it off to the front three to attack goal.

CM: Vitinha

Given Xavi was in his final season during Barcelona’s treble, we are giving this central midfield spot to Vitinha.

The former Wolves player has an incredible ability to find a way out of trouble and is the metronome for Enrique’s PSG.

He is versatile too and comfortable to drop deep and start attacks as well as play further upfield.

His close control, passing ability and skill to break the lines brings one player to mind…

CM: Andres Iniesta

To many, Iniesta is the best midfielder to ever play the game.

He could control the tempo like Xavi but was a more dynamic player and one able to push forward attacks whether that be through passing or his own incredible ball control.

He could hit them too as his goal against Madrid in November 2015 showed.

RW: Lionel Messi

What more is there to be said than it’s Messi?

Désiré Doué is excellent and at 20, destined for great things in the game, but no one since or before has come close to what Messi did.

LW: Neymar

Sorry to every PSG attacker, but there is no breaking up this three. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is brilliant but Neymar is on a different level.

Whether you want to call him the new Ronaldinho or Pele, he had an incredible ability on the ball and made watching football fun.

ST: Luis Suarez

Ousmane Dembele may be the reigning Ballon d’Or holder but by almost every metric, Suarez was better.

The Uruguayan was the kind of player who could win matches on his own and while he had to do that often at Liverpool, moving to Barcelona put him alongside better players and his ability only went up.

He scored simply buckets of goals and was the rare breed of striker who could flourish alongside Messi.