Messi and Ronaldo in Guardiola and Mourinho’s best XIs – but who would win?

Manchester Metropolis’s conflict with Tottenham will signify the twenty fifth time Jose Mourinho has confronted Pep Guardiola. 

The peak of their rivalry got here in La Liga, after all, when the 2 managers had been on the helm of Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.

That animosity has died down considerably since, even with Mourinho having gone on to take cost of Manchester United. 

Actually, Guardiola insists them being “neighbours” within the metropolis really helped the hostilities to die down a bit of. 

Additional aiding issues is the very fact Spurs are not within the title race, having slipped to eighth firstly of the weekend’s Premier League motion. 

Whatever the north Londoners’ kind, although, a gathering between Mourinho and Guardiola is all the time particular, if not solely due to the immense historical past they share. 

It is a rivalry which has traversed El Clasico and the Manchester derby, but in addition the Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate. 

So whereas we’re down that rabbit gap, it is price remembering a number of the unimaginable gamers every supervisor has overseen. 

Mourinho’s final XI

Mourinho named his greatest ever XI final 12 months: 

GK – Petr Cech

RB – Javier Zanetti

CB – John Terry

CB – Ricardo Carvalho

LB – William Gallas

DM – Claude Makelele

CM – Frank Lampard

LM- Eden Hazard

AM – Mesut Ozil

CF – Cristiano Ronaldo

ST – Didier Drogba

Guardiola’s final XI

Whereas Guardiola has stopped wanting cherry-picking his personal final group, statistics have narrowed his immense expertise pool at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Man Metropolis right down to an XI that sees the likes of Gerard Pique and Sergio Aguero miss out: 

GK – Manuel Neuer

RB – Dani Alves

CB – Jerome Boateng 

CB – Javier Mascherano

LB – David Alaba

RM – Arjen Robben 

CM – Kevin De Bruyne 

CM – Xavi

LM – Franck Ribery 

CF – Lionel Messi

ST – Robert Lewandowski 

The decision 

Whereas we attain for our tin hats, you may dwell on these sensational XIs and ponder what would occur if by some means, they might have been united and confronted each other. 

The place you fall could be swayed by your stance on Messi or Ronaldo, or the place you suppose that iconic Chelsea group from 2004/05 ranks among the many Premier League’s greatest ever. 

However let’s have a look. At their peaks, selecting between Cech and Neuer is a tricky ask. The German was ranked the very best ‘keeper on the earth for a very long time, so we’ll should go for his outrageous sweeping, nevertheless a lot it rattles our nerves. 

Unsurprisingly, maybe, in defence it is Mourinho who has overseen the actual gargantuans. Terry, Carvalho and Gallas had been a part of a facet who conceded simply 15 objectives of their first title-winning season. That is a daft stat, they usually’re flanked by Inter nice Zanetti.

Guardiola’s defence would not have sufficient tempo they usually might probably be ran ragged by a youthful Ronaldo and outmuscled by Drogba. 

Behind the forwards, you’ve got obtained Robben, De Bruyne and Xavi in opposition to Lampard, Hazard, and Ozil.

The Ozil Mourinho managed at Actual Madrid was a world-beater, scoring 27 objectives and registering 80 assists in a formidable partnership with Ronaldo. In Lampard, you might have one of many all-time Premier League greats, however higher than World Cup and European Championship winner Xavi? 

Hazard has declined shortly on the Bernabeu, however we additionally should not overlook his demise in his final season below Mourinho in 2015/16. 

Up entrance is the place it will get actually contentious. Ronaldo and Drogba, or Messi and Lewandowski? We’re not going to get into the GOAT debate right here, as a result of properly, life’s too brief. Drogba retired with 300 membership objectives, whereas Lewandowski is presently on 424 objectives and is nowhere close to completed but. 

Verdict: Guardiola beats Mourinho

It is completely legitimate to argue that this Mourinho set-up can be able to a defensive masterclass, however we will not see them thwarting Messi and Lewandowski, not to mention the lethal duo of peak Ribery and Robben on both wing. 

Apparently, De Bruyne is the one participant presently that includes below both boss who makes the grade. Harry Kane may need an argument to displace Drogba, however apart from that, it is inconceivable to see how any up to date Spurs gamers would function. 

The extra pertinent query for Mourinho and Guardiola is how their present XIs fare on the Etihad on Saturday afternoon. 

News Now – Sport News