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#3 N'Golo Kante (Chelsea)
N'Golo Kante is inarguably one of the finest central midfielders we have seen in the modern game. While the Frenchman is constantly lauded for his work rate and relentlessness, a major part of what makes him a great player gets overlooked.
Kante is as effective as he is because of his positional awareness. He possesses an excellent reading of the game and is great at making interceptions. The Chelsea midfielder has a great knack for providing cover to his backline.
Kante also showcases his positioning brilliance whenever he embarks on forward runs. He carries the ball, dragging midfielders and defenders out of position to create pockets of space in the attacking half.
But even as a sweeper, it is hard to find a player who is as good at reading the game and anticipating the flow of the game as the 30-year-old is.
#2 Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)
Thomas Muller has a reputation for being one of the most intelligent footballers in the world. The self-styled 'Raumdeuter' or space interpreter, is a floater on a football pitch who doesn't really stick to one position.
The German international is essentially a 'wide poacher' whose main role is to find pockets of space to operate in. He possesses a superior reading of the game and uses his anticipation to keep moving into positions from where his side can benefit.
Muller is often found attacking spaces between the lines or in behind the opposition defence. It's a role that cannot be played without a good sense of positioning. Muller has done that job to perfection all his career and continues to do so.
He consistently drags defenders away with him, thereby creating space for his fellow attackers to thrive in. Muller is undoubtedly one of the best when it comes to positioning.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo has had to tweak his game in his 30s after losing a yard of pace. He has had to move to a more central role and is generally deployed as a striker these days.
But he was able to change positions and continue being effective only because of his game intelligence and positional awareness. Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the best player in the world when it comes to off-the-ball movements.
He knows which pockets of space to attack and where he has to go if he is playing decoy so a teammate can run into a dangerous position. Ronaldo is also one of the best poachers in the game right now. That's owing to his superior sense of positioning.
If the goalkeeper parries the ball, he will be the first to react. Ronaldo is always lurking, waiting to strike like a viper if the opposition commits a mistake. His movement in and around the final third or anywhere on the pitch for that matter needs to be studied in detail by aspiring footballers.
