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Midfield partnerships are often the heartbeat of a team's performance. These duos or trios of players operating in the central midfield create the foundation for a team's style of play.
A balanced midfield duo typically consists of one player who excels in ball distribution, vision and playmaking, complemented by a partner who specializes in defensive duties, ball recovery and breaking up opponents' attacks.
The synergy between these two players is crucial for maintaining possession, controlling the tempo of the game and orchestrating attacks while also ensuring defensive stability.
Some iconic midfield duos from football history, like Xavi and Andres Iniesta for Barcelona or Roy Keane and Paul Scholes for Manchester United, have left an indelible mark on the game.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the five best midfield duos in world football right now (2023).
#5 Frenkie de Jong - Gavi (Barcelona)
With all the transfer turmoil from the summer of 2022 behind him, Frenkie de Jong is enjoying life at Barcelona. He has enjoyed a wonderful start to the 2023-24 season and has been making Barca tick with his superior passing and ball-progression abilities.
De Jong provides a lot of balance to Barca's midfield and he has done particularly well alongside Gavi. Their complementary playing styles, with Gavi's youthful energy and De Jong's experience, have provided both defensive solidity and creative impetus, making them vital to Barcelona's exploits this term.
#4 Declan Rice - Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
Arsenal made Declan Rice their most expensive signing of all time this summer when they secured his services from West Ham United for a sum of €116.6 million. Rice has made an instant impact at Arsenal and seems to be thriving under Mikel Arteta.
He has already turned in commanding displays at the base of Arsenal's midfield in matches against Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, Everton and PSV Eindhoven. In addition to being a great shield for his team's defence, Rice is also quite proficient in a technical sense.
This has enabled him to play as both a number 8 and a number 6. His ability to carry the ball forward and bring the attackers into play has enabled Martin Odegaard to play with a lot of freedom.
Rice brings the steel and Odegaard provides the silk and as a midfield duo, they sync extremely well. It will be interesting to see just how good they get when they get more comfortable playing alongside each other as the season progresses.
#3 Joshua Kimmich - Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich)
The midfield duo of Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka has proven to be a powerhouse combination for both Bayern Munich and the German national team. The duo brings a blend of versatility, work rate and technical prowess to the table.
Kimmich is renowned for his passing ability, tactical intelligence the ability to play in a variety of positions in midfield. Meanwhile, Goretzka provides dynamism, physicality and a knack for arriving in the box at the right time to score valuable goals.
In combination, they create a well-oiled midfield engine capable of dictating play and breaking down opposition attacks. They also ensure their forwards are adequately serviced with their technical prowess and vision.
#2 Bernardo Silva - Rodri (Manchester City)
In Kevin De Bruyne's absence due to a hamstring injury, the midfield duo of Bernardo Silva and Rodri has proven to be quite effective for Manchester City. Their partnership has thrived due to a congruous blend of skills and attributes in the initial stages of the 2023-24 season.
Bernardo Silva brings his exquisite dribbling, creativity and ability to exploit tight spaces, which has helped City unlock stubborn defences.
On the other hand, Rodri's imposing presence and exceptional positional awareness make him a great shield for the defence. The Spaniard consistently ensures solidity in midfield.
Their chemistry and understanding have allowed Manchester City to control possession, dictate the tempo of matches and transition seamlessly between defence and attack.
#1 Aurelien Tchouameni - Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
Real Madrid's midfield rebuild seemed like an impossible task to pull off. After all, how does one find worthy replacements for the likes of Casemiro, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, a trio that has won the Champions League four times together?
But Real Madrid has done the unthinkable. They've done a brilliant job at slowly transitioning to a new system with young, elite midfielders and the results are there for everyone to see. Tchouameni has been a force to be reckoned with in defensive midfield.
He is one of the best in the business when it comes to breaking up play thanks to his tackling and game-reading ability which enables him to intercept passes consistently. The Frenchman also excels at aerial duels and keeps things ticking in midfield with his neat passing.
Tchouameni averages a pass success rate of 94.2% in six appearances across La Liga and the Champions League so far this season. Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham has been arguably the best player in La Liga in the initial stages of the new season.
The 20-year-old has given no hints of being bogged down by his hefty price tag and has been scoring plenty of goals and winning matches for his new club. He is relishing the freedom he has been afforded to bomb forward and get into goalscoring positions.
In six appearances in all competitions for Real Madrid so far this season, the Englishman has scored six goals and provided one assist.
