Friends at country, rivals at clubs: El Clasico to witness faceoff between international teammates

Ask any footballer. To wear his/her country's colours at the international stage will be always special. The bondings you form at the national camp is expected to run deep and last long. But your camaraderie with your international teammates can be tested if they are competing in the same league as you are in the club level. It extends to another level altogether when it comes to derbies. Sunday's El Clasico at Santiago Bernabeau will see some well-known names of football clashing with their international teammates. They know each other's game really well and who will ultimately profit from it? Here are three such pairs you don't want to miss out on.

LUKA MODRIC & IVAN RAKITIC: Rakitic has said that his national team-mate Luka Modric should win everything that star striker Lionel Messi cannot. You don't get to hear something like that been said about a Madrid player by a counterpart at Barcelona. Modric and Rakitic were instrumental in Croatia's World Cup wonder run in Russia. Their respective sides will be baying on their experience to orchestrate and organise the game from the middle of the pitch. (Photo | AFP) 

RAPHAEL VARANE & ANTOINE GRIEZMANN: The World Cup-winning French duo is not new to keeping their friendship aside for professional reasons as Griezmann played for Real Madrid's local rivals Atletico before making a move to Bracelona. Varane has been the part of the defensive department at Bernabeu since 2011 and is almost certain to start Sunday's CLasico. Interestingly, the duo are likely to occupy the same area of the picth, which means Varane will be trusted with the job of containing 28-year-old Griezmann. (Photo | AFP)

TONI KROOS & MARC-ANDRE TER STEGEN: Barcelona's 'Spiderman' will be tested by Real Madrid's 'Sniper' for sure. The question is, how often and what will be the outcome... Ter Stegen might still be under the shadow of Manuel Neuer in the German national side but that doesn't make him a weakling. Kroos should be knowing this better than many others and will ceratinly be heedful to extra-sharpen his longrangers against his countryman. Ter Stegen will be hoping his backline to support him well enough to dodge Kroos' set pieces - another strong aspect of his game. (Photos | AP)