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Manchester City vs. Barcelona: Combined Starting XI

By Cody Griffin

BARCELONA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 18: Josep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City speaks to the media during the Manchester City Press Conference at Camp Nou on October 18, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 18: Josep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City speaks to the media during the Manchester City Press Conference at Camp Nou on October 18, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) /
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Jun 18, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi (17) goes up for a head ball over Venezuela forward Jose Salomon Rondon (9) during the second half of Argentina
Jun 18, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi (17) goes up for a head ball over Venezuela forward Jose Salomon Rondon (9) during the second half of Argentina /

Second Centerback: Nicolas Otamendi

At the second centerback position there is plenty of room for contention, but in my opinion the Argentine takes this spot alongside Pique in the starting eleven.

While Barcelona defender Mascherano could make a strong case for this second spot, and the young Samuel Umtiti being no slouch, Otamendi has greatly improved for the most part on his performances last season.

As far as competition from the City squad, Vincent Kompany has been mostly out of commission this season, so simply could not be factored in. John Stones however, has been excellent both in his positioning and on-the-ball skills, but he still has a bit more to prove to be on the same level as Otamendi.

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