The best possible combined XI from each of the four Champions League pots

The draw for the 2018/19 Champions League group stages is later today.

The best teams from across the continent will once again be sending their representatives to Monaco, as they wait to see what groups they will be drawn into as 31 teams will be out to finally unseat Real Madrid as Champions of Europe. Los Blancos have won the last three editions of Europe’s top prize and will be aiming for their 14th overall triumph.

A deciding factor in how these teams will get on is what group they are drawn into, and who their opponents are. Their pot will play a big part in this, as they are UEFA’s seeding system for the groups. Pot 1 is Champions from around Europe as well as the Champions League and Europa League winners. Then after that the pots are organised via UEFA co-efficient (i.e. performances over the last five European seasons).

With the exception of Lokomotiv Moscow in pot 1, the pots this year are actually very well-matched. We here at Squawka thought we’d have a little fun with that and came up with combined XI’s for each of the four pots – with a maximum of three players per-team. Who made it in? Who missed out? Read on and see!

Pot 1

With Manuel Neuer miles off the pace, the mighty Jan Oblak keeps goal for this team. Ahead of him is his Atlético Madrid team-mate Diego Godín, the finest centre-back in the world. Next to Godín is living legend that is Sergio Ramos; the Spaniard is the only captain to have lifted the Champions League on three occasions and makes up for defensive lapses with goalscoring heroics.

At right-back Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich is probably the only elite choice at the big clubs given Dani Carvajal’s fitness issues, just as well then, that he is an absolute dynamo. Similarly on the left is Real Madrid’s Marcelo, a full-back who may as well be Los Blancos’ chief playmaker for as much as he can drive their play from deep.

Holding midfield we have the two best midfielders in the world; Barcelona’s Sergio Busquets and Real Madrid’s Luka Modric. The pair are stupendously skilled and so tactically intelligent and aware that even though neither are great athletes, you’d find it nearly impossible to overwhelm them as a pair. They will protect the defence and move the ball forward with the aid of Leo Messi.

Messi, playing as a no. 10, would run the side. He would drop to link and form a midfield three with Busquets and Modric, and then through his peerlessly penetrative passing would set his forwards away and on the attack; where he could then join them making late runs to arrive at the top of the box, ready for any cutbacks that would come.

This team is full of heavy-hitters, to the extent that no one from Manchester City’s centurion Champions makes it in. That may seem absurd, and for sure if Kevin De Bruyne was fit he would have probably ended up being selected, but just look at the talent on display here; these are world conquerors (in Mbappé’s case, quite literally). It’s harsh on Pep’s men, who are probably the best team in Europe, but this is a collection of individuals, and that’s where they fall down.

The forward line is individual central. PSG’s unfathomably awesome pair of Neymar and Kylian Mbappé play “wide” but in reality as they do in Paris, have the freedom to drift into the middle to find goalscoring positions. Speaking of goalscoring, Mr. Champions League takes his rightful place at the head of his side. Needing no introduction, Juventus’ new no. 7 would do pretty much whatever he wanted to, moving into spaces and thriving off the unreal playmaking skills of Messi, this legend would score goal after goal after goal after goal (etc.)

Pot 2

David De Gea, the world’s finest goalkeeper, takes his place between the goalposts behind the Tottenham pair of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen. The Belgians are a brilliant duo for club and country, so no need to break them up. Out wide the maverick Alessandro Florenzi (who once scored a Champions League goal from 40 yards out for Roma) and Porto’s Alex Telles give true width to the team.

In the middle of the park Manchester United’s World Cup winning Paul Pogba would be unleashed (obviously in this scenario José Mourinho is not his manager) by the stable defensive work and intelligent passing play of Porto’s Hector Herrera and Dortmund’s Axel Witsel, with the Belgian able to drive forward and score goals on occasion.

Up-front the Dortmund legend that is Marco Reus takes up his place on the right and Napoli’s pintsized phenom Lorenzo Insigne is on the left, but with Florenzi and Telles providing width these two would be able to come centrally and provide support and make runs beyond the magnificent Harry Kane, probably the world’s best no. 9 right now.

Pot 3

Alisson is in goal, obviously. Liverpool’s brilliantly bearded stopper is one of the world’s finest keepers. Ahead of him, team-mate Virgil Van Dijk leads a Ligue 1 defence, with Monaco’s Euro 2016 legend Kamil Glik partnering him in the middle and Lyon’s fabulous full-backs, Ferland Mendy and Rafael out wide providing creativity and dynamism in attack.

At the base of midfield Valencia’s Geoffrey Kondogbia brings experience and athleticism as well as a keen tactical intelligence, allowing him to dovetail with Ajax’s wonderkid Frenkie de Jong. The pair would have everything to provide service to the team’s attacking heartbeat: Lyon’s Nabil Fekir.

Fekir would run the attack from a central free-zone, linking with Valencia’s Gonçalo Guedes to be the creative edge that feeds Radamel Falcao and Mohamed Salah. The Monaco and Liverpool forwards will provide the lion’s share of goals in this vibrant attacking side; and will do so in their own distinct and complimentary styles.

Pot 4

Galatasaray’s Fernando Muslera goes in goal, with the Uruguayan hoping to replicate his excellent World Cup (well, besides the error against France) at club level. Hoffenheim’s rampaging right-back Pavek Kaderabek and Galatasaray’s Yuto Nagatomo will provide a lot of the width in this side, moving up and down the touchline.

In the middle with have Hoffenheim skipper Kevin Vogt pair up with Inter’s defensive sensation Milan Skriniar. The pair would form a physical base behind an equally dominant double pivot of Hoffenheim’s Steven Zuber and Red Star’s Nenad Krsticic. These four would allow the full-backs to attack at will and reduce defensive workload on the front four.

In a 4-2-3-1, Galatasaray’s Henry Onyekuru (on loan from Everton) and Red Star’s El Fardou Ben Nabouane provide dangerous running and goalscoring (Ben Nabouane’s goals got his club into the groups) whilst Inter’s Ivan Perisic adds creativity and Mauro Icardi is the do-it-all striker to lead the line and lead the side.

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