Who makes the combined LOSC 2011/2021 team? | OneFootball

With Lille top of the Ligue 1 Uber Eats table, we take on the tricky challenge of selecting a combined team from the table toppers and the last LOSC side to win the title, Rudi Garcia's 2010-2011 vintage.

With Garcia's Olympique Lyonnais hosting Lille on Sunday evening in Round 34, now is an opportune moment to assess the claims of the two generations. Some quality players are inevitably going to miss out. Complicating the process is the fact that Garcia's title-winning side played 4-3-3, while Christophe Galtier's present-day side line up in a 4-4-2.

GOALKEEPER - MIKE MAIGNAN (2021)

Maignan has already kept 18 clean sheets in 33 matches this league season and he gets the nod ahead of Ligue 1 legend Mickaël Landreau, the division's record appearance holder. Maignan, 25, is in the prime of his career and has the potential to achieve something Landreau never managed and become France's number 1 goalkeeper.

RIGHT-BACK - MATHIEU DEBUCHY (2011)

None of these selection decisions are easy to make but Debuchy just shades the right-back berth from Zeki Celik, the Turkish international who has proved an excellent acquisition for the northern club. Debuchy's extra attacking quality sees him earn a coveted berth in the combined side.

CENTRE-HALF - JOSE FONTE (2021)

If Maignan has so many clean sheets then a lot of the credit has to go to the 37-year-old Portuguese international, who gets into our side as captain. A natural leader, Fonte is an excellent defender and organiser and universally admired, setting the parameters of what it takes to be a true professional to his younger colleagues. Aurélien Chedjou from the double-winning team doesn't make the cut.

CENTRE-HALF - ADIL RAMI (2011)

Rami, who went on to be a non-playing member of France's victorious 2018 World Cup squad, agreed to join Valencia midway through the 2010-2011 campaign but stayed until the end of the season, forcing his way into the Ligue 1 team of the year. Forceful and charismatic, Rami's selection means there's no berth for Sven Botman.

LEFT-BACK - FRANCK BERIA (2011)

Left-back has been something of a problem position for Galtier, although Mozambican international Reinildo's greater defensive qualities have seen him establish himself as first choice ahead of Croatian international Domagoj Bradaric. Beria was Mr. Consistent for the title winners and deserves his place.

MIDFIELD - BENJAMIN ANDRE (2021)

André is the Mr. Dependable of the current team, described as the "locomotive" by Galtier as he defends going forward and sets the tone with his commitment. The former Rennes captain was impossible to overlook.

MIDFIELD - RIO MAVUBA (2011)

The captain in 2010-2011 had a magnificent campaign back then and even though he misses out on the captaincy to Fonte in the combined eleven, the French international simply demanded inclusion in midfield. Renato Sanches has the talent to make the team but has missed too many games through injury.

MIDFIELD - YOHAN CABAYE (2011)

We're trying to make this team balanced and that means the creative Cabaye earns selection ahead of Florent Balmont, who was arguably more influential in 2010-2011. The Ligue 1 team of the year in 2010-2011 didn't worry about balance and went with a 4-4-2 with a midfield of LOSC's Gervinho and Eden Hazard, PSG's Nene and Rennes' Yann M'Vila.

FORWARD - EDEN HAZARD (2011)

Ligue 1 player of the year in 2011, Hazard's joie de vivre and ability lit up a campaign he finished as a 20-year-old. Hazard's influence went well beyond his seven league goals and he was voted best player in the league once again the following year.

FORWARD - BURAK YILMAZ (2021)

Nicknamed "Kral" (king) in his native Turkey, Yilmaz gets in - just - ahead of Jonathan David. Both players have scored 10 league goals this season but the Turkish veteran's have come in just 23 appearances compared to the 32 outings for the Canadian international.

FORWARD - MOUSSA SOW (2011)

The most unfortunate of all not to make the eleven is Gervinho as the Ivorian scored 15 league goals and was outstanding on the right side of attack in 2010-2011. To make him even more aggrieved, he misses out to Moussa Sow, who scored a league-leading 25 goals in 2010-2011. Sow played centre-forward in that team but was also able out wide and he's shunted to the right in this team in order to accommodate Sow.

OVERALL SCORE - 2021 (4), 2011 (7) COACH - CHRISTOPHE GALTIER

To sum up, the 2011 side was packed with quality and that's why Garcia's team have more players in the combined 11 than Galtier manages to place, though there's still time left this campaign for players from the 2020-2021 side to force their way in. Galtier coaches the combined team as he has got the best out of a less talented squad.

>> Round 33 review: Chasing pack cut LOSC's lead

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