Ten fixed positions and one spot to be determined. These are the hours prior to the Champions League final in Kiev between Real Madrid and Liverpool for Zinedine Zidane, with only one doubt to be cleared: reward Gareth Bale's sacrifice after removing his untouchable status or bet on Benzema.
Bringing together the BBC seems like the most remote option. The times when the trident formed by Bale, Benzema, and Cristiano Ronaldo was untouchable are long gone. "They are the best, by far," Zidane said in the hours leading up to the match, fueling the debate and fostering doubt in the enemy.
But the reality is that the BBC have not played together this season in any Champions League match, and doing so on the day of the final would be a hidden ace up Zidane's sleeve. He found balance and good results when he switched to a 1-4-4-2 formation and freed Cristiano Ronaldo from playing on the wing, moving him to the top of the attack.
Everything indicates that Bale and Benzema will compete for a position. The Frenchman started in both matches of the round of 16 against PSG, being replaced by the Welshman on both occasions. And when he didn't play, Gareth was only chosen once, in the second leg of the quarter-finals against Juventus, and only lasted for 45 minutes on the field.
Bale's decline in importance in the Champions League shows the transition to a second unit in an unexpected way. He was always undisputed, returned with the same role after his continuous soleus injuries, but this year everything changed from the match against PSG. In the six decisive knockout matches leading up to the final, he had only one start.
He could have given up, and if he is rumored to start in Kiev, it is because of the pride he has shown to turn his situation around in the last attempt before, probably, leaving Real Madrid to return to English football. His final stretch in the league has been impeccable, responding with a goal per game to the starts in matches where there was nothing at stake.
Benzema did not respond in the same way, scoring only eleven goals in all competitions this season as Real Madrid's number 9. He revealed himself with a crucial double in the second leg of the semi-finals against Bayern Munich at the Bernabeu, but in the league he has shown a continued image of powerlessness in finishing.
In his favor is the complicity he has with Cristiano, the work that few value, including Zidane, for him to benefit from Ronaldo's movements and associations to score, and a surprising statistic against Liverpool. He has scored three goals in the two matches he has faced against the Reds with Real Madrid.
Zidane's decision is yet to be communicated to his players. Everyone suspects that Keylor Navas, Dani Carvajal, Sergio Ramos, Varane, Marcelo, Casemiro, Kroos, Modric, Isco, and Cristiano Ronaldo are the fixed positions. The headache for Zidane remains to be solved: Bale or Benzema.