Photo by realmadrid.blogspot.com

So Madrid dropped so much money this summer that it would make a Saudi prince jealous. Particularly one who recently became part of the Middle Eastlands. After acquiring a venerable who's who of international stars, basically all the upperclassmen that you always wanted to be when you were a freshman. Acquisitions from France, England, and Italy make Real Madrid the European importer of the year. We have thrown up the lineups that we think most appropriately fit the talent of the squad.

The lineup that they can assemble is potentially the most talented attacking side the world has ever seen. They, just like Man City, have so many attacking options it is just disgusting. To try and limit who is playing is like picking between having a smoothie, a milkshake, or an ice cream soda. They are all delicious but you still have to pick one. So I chose the double ice cream, extra chocolate syrup ice cream soda lineup, packed with flavor but something you don't get to enjoy every day.

Higuain     Benzema     Ronaldo

                  Kaka

       L. Diarra     Alonso

Drenthe  Pepe    Albiol     Ramos

               Casillas

This nifty little 4-2-1-3 has just the slightest bit of attacking punch if you will. The front four is so dynamic that really they can all switch positions at any time and just wreak havoc on a defense. How do you defend Benzema, Ronaldo, Higuain, and Kaka? You don't. You pray and hope you can score as much as you possibly can against them, and hope to hold them to two or three goals? I just can't wait for Barcelona – Real Madrid, could be the best derby ever in the history of the two Spanish giants.

Forward: Higuain Benzema Ronaldo

Going with the youth movement here primarily because Higuain is a better passer and more willing to accept that role then Raul. He is also one of the most promising young players around, and his finishing is crispy to say the least. He can send in good balls to the promising Frenchman, Benzema. His strength in the air, ability to control balls, and finishing make him a perfect center forward for this side. He combines well with Ronaldo and Kaka as we have already seen, and is an impact player. Ronaldo is given plenty of freedom to attack only, and his speed on the right wing combined with his freedom to pop up anywhere on the pitch make him incredibly concerning for any defense, and his strike rate and work in the air allow him to be incredibly dangerous both from the run of play and off of set pieces. The key is each of their ability to exchange passes with each other and the unselfishness to be one of the stars instead of the star. That and the fact each of them is a world class finisher, and insanely creative passers as well.

Attacking Mid: Kaka

The lynchpin, the creative force, the man who will make Real Madrid the highest scoring team in La Liga history, Kaka's role as a distributor is greatly helped by the options he has. His ability to see the field and spray gorgeous balls to lead his forwards into great finishing position is ever so critical, because when great finishers are provided good opportunities that they do not have to work to create, they are more likely to finish and finish often. He is sublime, and a great finisher to match his tremendous ball distribution. His ability to hold possession and control the game makes him the most important player on the field for Real.

Defensive Mid: L. Diarra Alonso

The engines of Madrid have a lot of work to do, especially considering both the front men and the outside backs tend to not always play a lot of defense. This places a heavy load on both Diarra and Alonso, however both are up to the task. Alonso's ability to distribute and defend is critical, as he regularly does the work of two players, as Liverpool's midfield can testify. Diarra and his tenacity combines greatly with Alonso, as they cover for defense and start up the Madrid offense. Their ability to shoulder a heavy load is critical to Madrid's success.

Defense: Drenthe Pepe Albiol Ramos

The attacking force of the outside backs propels Madrid's attack. Both Ramos and Drenthe are incredibly dangerous going forward, both on the overlap and get played in from the midfield. Both can swing good balls into the box for their forwards to pounce on. Their recovery speed allows them to get forward and still get back to cover when they are needed. Pepe and Albiol hold centrally, both distribute the ball well, but will be required to stay back to ensure that Madrid is not easily penetrated defensively. This is a back line primarily designed for attack, and the world class outside backs are as offensive minded as they are defensively oriented. Madrid should be able to possess the ball enough that they do not need to focus on defending more then the occasional counter.

Keeper: Casillas

Well, Iker is the best keeper in the world. Enough said. Any team would be incredibly lucky to have him as their number one.

Subs:

Dudek – Dudek is a beast in goal, and only a slight drop off from Casillas when he is needed

Garay – A sturdy backup defender who can play both in the middle and outside if needed

Marcelo – Another dangerous attacking option going forward from the back, Marcelo has a lot of promise and will push Drenthe for a spot in the starting 11

Guti – The central midfielder with tons of experience, he is a great fit for either defensive center mid when needed, and packs some defensive punch.

Gago – Another defensive option in the mid, he is a sturdy possession midfielder

Van der Vaart – The Dutch midfielder has some attacking flair that fits in nicely with the rest of Madrid's prowess up front.

Raul – A brilliant attacker, Raul is Madrid's all time leading scorer. However, he seems to have lost some of his magic but is still a great option off of the bench.

Manager: Pellegrini – He has quite a squad assembled, and has all the tools he needs to challenge both for a Liga title and the Champions League. Really, not winning at least one trophy this year would be a disappointment.