5 best midfield partnerships in football right now (2022)

#3 Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)

Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne (pic cred: EverythingBarca)

Rodri is Manchester City's midfield metronome. The Spanish international's passing is immaculate and he keeps things ticking at the center of the pitch for Pep Guardiola's men. His relentless passing, positional awareness and defensive acumen make him one of the best defensive midfielders in the game right now.

Rodri is one of the most tactically intelligent footballers in the Premier League and this enables him to work as a single holding midfielder. He has an incredible partner in Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian international is arguably the greatest attacking midfielder of his generation.

De Bruyne is excellent at progressing the ball. But it's his vision and passing range that sets him apart. The 30-year-old can pick out his teammates anywhere on the pitch and he is also brilliant at finding the back of the net once he gets into a good position inside the final third.

#2 Toni Kroos and Luka Modric (Real Madrid)

Luka Modric and Toni Kroos (pic cred: Luka Modric and Toni Kroos)

Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are arguably the greatest midfield duo of the last decade. Kroos and Modric are two of the most technically proficient footballers of the 21st century and it's a joy to watch them run games from midfield.

Kroos takes up a deeper role than Modric and dictates play with his extremely precise passing. The German international has a pass completion rate of 94.9% in La Liga and 95.8% in the Champions League. It's hard to find another midfielder who is as good at progressive passing as Kroos.

Luka Modric is a magician with the ball at his feet. He can dart past opponents with the grace of a gazelle and his passing range is exquisite as well. The pair of Modric and Kroos are well complemented by Casemiro, who plays behind them as the defensive midfielder.

Modric has four assists in 14 La Liga appearances this term while Kroos has registered three assists and scored a goal in 14.

#1 Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)

FC Bayern München v VfL Bochum - Bundesliga

The midfield partnership of Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich is arguably the best in the world right now. The two are the first-choice central midfielders for both club and country. The dynamic duo are gifted in all departments and can run the show from midfield with ease.

Kimmich is deployed as a deep-lying playmaker. The 26-year-old is one of the most versatile players on the planet as well and is an aggressive customer at the center of the pitch. He is great at finding space in midfield and is an agile midfielder with excellent ball retention skills.

Kimmich is also great at recovering possession and can also strike some accurate shots from range. Goretzka is the perfect foil for Kimmich. He is one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world and can in fact, play in any position across midfield.

Goretzka is also excellent when it comes to testing the goalkeeper from range. His aerial ability makes him a constant threat from set-pieces. But it's his ability to keep the ball and pick out his teammates with precise passes that make him an elite midfielder.

Kimmich has scored three goals and provided three assists in 13 Bundesliga appearances. Goretzka has netted twice and racked up two assists in 12.