Current El Clasico academy stars XI: Best of Barca and Real

Left back: Jordi Alba (Barcelona)
Released from La Masia at 16 in 2005, it took Barcelona’s current left back seven years to get back to the Catalan giants. Valencia got decent money (€14m) when they sold him to the Nou Camp club, but Alba, also 25, really caught the eye during Spain’s Euro 2012 triumph, and you can relive his goal in the final against Italy here:

Central midfield: Rafinha Alcantara (Barcelona)
Older brother Thiago may not have fared so well since leaving Barca with an injury-hit spell at Bayern Munich, but 22-year-old Rafinha is getting his chance in the first-team after an impressive loan spell at Celta Vigo last term. He was coached then, as now, by Luis Enrique, one of several European stars to have played for both the Catalan giants and Madrid.

Central midfield: Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona)
Now in the autumn of his career aged 35, Barca club captain Xavi has almost made 750 first-team appearances and been affiliated with the Nou Camp club since 1991. Few in history can be mentioned in the same breath as this outstanding servant with his perfect playmaking abilities.

Central midfield: Andres Iniesta (Barcelona)
Like partner in crime Xavi and compatriot, but El Clasico foe, Casillas, 30-year-old Iniesta is a three-time Champions League winner, with his silky skills getting Barcelona on the front foot for over a decade now.

Right wing: Pedro Rodriguez (Barcelona)
Tenerife-born winger Pedro, now 27, joined Barca’s academy as a teenager and progressed through their ranks, enjoying a breakthrough 2009/10 campaign for the first team, which is still his best scoring season to date. Since the signings of Neymar and Luis Suarez, first-team opportunities have been tough to come by, though Pedro is a 7/4 anytime scorer chance against Real.

Striker: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Argentina inspiration Messi needs three more goals to have hit 400 senior club strikes for Barcelona aged just 27. Odds of 16/1 say this world-class attacking talent can get to that milestone with what would be a memorable El Clasico treble. Be sure to watch Messi’s 21 previous goals in this fabulous fixture below:

Left wing: Jese Rodriguez (Real Madrid)
Wideman Jese was primed to go to the World Cup in Brazil last summer before a serious knee injury ended his hopes. The only uncapped inclusion at senior level in our XI has since returned to action, though. Jese is a 10/1 shot to score last in El Clasico.

Substitutes:
With Sergio Busquets out injured, there are seven other options for our El Clasico bench. Third-choice Barca keeper Jordi Masip is our reserve stopper, joining defensive backup in Nou Camp teammates Marc Bartra and Martin Montoya, plus Real utility man Alvaro Arbeloa.

Sergi Roberto, another La Masia product, is there to come on in midfield, leaving Munir El Haddadi and Alvaro Medran, who have both had some first-team exposure in Barcelona and Madrid this term respectively, as attacking alternatives.