#6 - Hernandez Xavi The spine of the team. So incredibly reliable on the ball which sees his presence relieve copious amounts of pressure from his fellow midfield players. His ability to dictate a team's tempo is arguably second to none. Expect the opposition to have a bad day if they don't adequately close this man down. #20 - Gonzalo Higuaín A nuisance in the box with his great movement. Higuaín is a lethal finisher who is more than capable of doing a bang-up job as a lone forward with the backing of a creative midfield behind him. His ability to set up goals often goes unnoticed too. #15 - Mats Hummels A towering presence at 6'3", Hummels is one of the finest at marking the most dangerous opposition striker out of the game. He is well composed on the ball and is an asset to have in the penalty box when attacking corners. He'll be the man leading the defence for the Warriors this season. #18 - Ricardo Montolivo Montolivo's ability to excel in various midfield roles makes him quite an ideal fit here. Although his time at Fiorentina saw him employed primarily as a Pirlo-esque deep lying playmaker, he has shown his box-to-box capabilities since signing for Milan. Montolivo in a box-to-box role can act as a catalyst to get even more from Xavi as his defensive responsibilities will be reduced. Montolivo can also slot in behind the strikers in a more trequartista type role as he did for Italy in the Euros. He is also effective in a wide midfielder role. Where exactly Montolivo will be used remains a mystery for now and will largely depend on the midfield make-up of the Warriors. One thing is for sure though; with his poise on the ball and elegant passing, the Italian is without a doubt going to be a joy to watch regardless of where he plays.
.................Sirigu .....Godin - Hummels - Boateng .Castro.........................Coentrao .................Asamoah .....Montolivo............Xavi .......................Lavezzi ............Higuain Bench: Dzagoev Mkhitaryan Strootman Carvajal Yarmolenko Gonalons Kevin Trapp Inigo Martinez