Liverpool - Real Madrid Combined XI: who makes the cut - Mohamed Salah or Cristiano Ronaldo?

Madrid maybe looking to offload Keylor Navas, however, the Costa Rican is still our No1 over Liverpool’s Loris Karius.

The young German has had a pretty decent season after he claimed the gloves from Simon Mignolet, but is still very much in a ‘developing phase’.

Of course in a final only one save may be needed to turn the game.

FULL BACKS

The competition for the right-back spot is tight. Madrid’s Dani Carvajal has been in the business for quite a while and is one of the best right backs in the world. He plays an important role in his team’s attack and is solid at the back.

But Trent Alexander-Arnold seems to have a slight edge over his counterpart when performances in the Champions League are compared. The 19-year-old has made nine tackles, 28 clearances and recovered the ball 61 times – all of them better than Carvajal’s numbers.

The youngster also scored the first goal for Liverpool in the campaign against Hoffenheim.

It’s similarly tight over on the left – Liverpool’s Andy Robertson has been solid and is one of their best players this season, especially when raiding forward and whipping in a fizzing cross, but the Scotsman is no match for Marcelo.

The Brazilian left-back has scored three goals and assisted two in Real Madrid’s Champions League campaign, showing his influence in attack. Facing the 30-year-old will be Alexander-Arnold’s biggest challenge on Saturday.

But Robertson’s runs and crosses still have the potential to cause some trouble to the Real Madrid defence.

CENTRAL DEFENCE

These are a little more clear cut. The passionate but error prone Dejan Lovren v Sergio Ramos – one of the best defenders in the world. Ah let me think about it…?

The Real Madrid captain is known for stepping up when his team needs him the most – at both ends of the pitch. And that could be the case on Saturday .

Lovren may have revived his Liverpool career of late, but is definitely no competition for Ramos.

Virgil van Dijk cost Liverpool £75 million and he had already paid back a good part of that.

The Dutchman’s arrival has seen a massive improvement in the Reds’ defence; adding more stability and leadership at the back. He has given the Reds what they most needed at the back – confidence, even a touch of dare we say – arrogance.

Madrid’s Raphael Varane has played twice as much as Van Dijk and his statistics aren’t bad but the Frenchman misses out as VVD plays a far more crucial role for his side than Varane.

MIDFIELD

Toni Kroos has had a comparatively quiet Champions League campaign with just one assist, but don’t judge him by his numbers.

The German has the ability to split any defence with his accurate passes, giving him the edge over Jordan Henderson for his creativity, and nullifying him is one of Liverpool’s main challenges.

Closing down Kroos would result in the reduction of supply to Cristiano Ronaldo – but that is easier said than done.

Shutting down Kroos might not be enough as his midfield partner Luka Modric can cause just as many problems. Indeed if Real Madrid do win then they may have Kroos and Modric’s dominance to thank.

The duo are two of the best passers of the ball in the game, and their opponents cannot afford to give them free space or time at any cost. Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum will be busy. Shut down the two midfield maestros and Liverpool have a good chance of winning their sixth European crown.

No doubt this will cause a few arguments but we have gone for Liverpool vice-captain James Milner to break up the Los Blancos midfield trio.

Milner is probably the most consistent and versatile player from both sides. The old-school midfielder might not be as fancy as his counterparts but knows how to get things done in attack and defence, giving him the edge over Real’s attack minded Isco.

The former Man City star broke the record for the most number of assists in one Champions League season with nine – a record that once belonged to Neymar and Wayne Rooney – and he would love to add to that tally in Kiev.

ATTACK

No surprises here. Mohamed Salah is Liverpool’s best player and one of the strongest contenders for the Ballon d’Or this year. A Champions League triumph would put him in an even better position for the award and he will be doing everything to win it.

The Egyptian King has scored 10 goals for his side in the Champions League and will increase that number if the Real Madrid defence does not keep him under control. The 25-year-old battling wits, speed and skill with Ramos and Marcelo will definitely be a treat to watch.

He may have had a slow start to the season as he struggled to score goals in La Liga but Cristiano Ronaldo reminded everyone of who he is by scoring 15 goals in the Champions League this campaign – and so earns his spot in our combined XI.

The former Manchester United player is just one goal away from matching the record for the most goals scored in a season in the Champions League – a record currently held by none other than himself.

It will be intriguing to see how the Liverpool defence handles the threat posed by Ronaldo.

The final position in our front three – and our XI – and it goes to Robert Firmino, arguably the most improved player in either team this year.

Salah might be Liverpool’s best player overall but when it comes to Europe, the Brazilian wins the race He has scored as many goals as the Egyptian and is just one behind Milner in assists in the competition.

It would not be wrong to call him the best player of the tournament if Liverpool who take home the trophy from Kyiv.

With Firmino in the middle of our attack in the false-9 role and supplying Salah and Ronaldo, no defence on earth could keep them out.

So there it is – our Combined Liverpool-Real Madrid XI. What do you think? Let us know @sport360