Combined Best XI UCL: Manchester City vs. AS Monaco
By Larry Henry
Manchester City will look to take a huge first step to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday as they welcome French leaders Monaco to the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola‘s men face off against the current Ligue 1 leaders on Tuesday, looking to kick off their Round of 16 draw in strong fashion. Despite a 0-0 F.A. Cup fifth round draw at Huddersfield Town on Saturday, Manchester City will most likely have a much-stronger side available for Tuesday’s first leg.
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Monaco are coming off a 1-1 league draw at Bastia last Friday, but currently hold a three-point lead over Paris Saint-Germain.
Guardiola told BBC Sport in a recent interview that he is excited for the opportunity to face one of Europe’s best. “Monaco are the most successful team in Europe in terms of scoring goals, so this is a tough draw. We are looking forward to playing against them. They are a really good team.”
With a mouth-watering first leg ready to take place on Tuesday, I decided to create a combined best XI between the two sides. Players will be chosen on their recent form, and that are available for selection.
Goalkeeper – Danijel Subasic
The 32-year-old Croatian would get the nod for me after being a consistent starter for Monaco in years past. Before joining for the French side in 2012, he played four seasons for Hajduk Split. He is a good keeper that provides great distribution out of the back, while also being a strong shot-blocker. I feel Willy Caballero would make this a tough choice but Subasic does a little more for me to get the nod. Claudio Bravo has been too inconsistent of late to start over either one of these keepers.