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Football is arguably one of the most physically demanding sports. It tends to reward those who possess inhumane stamina, blistering pace, and immeasurable power. However, summing up the beautiful game with these three dimensions alone would be an injustice of the highest order.
We cannot, in good conscience, leave out footballing intelligence. We cannot overlook the brilliant players who make intelligent runs to conjure match-winning contributions out of thin air.
Here are the top five players who currently make the most intelligent runs in football:
#5 Karim Benzema - Real Madrid
Since Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer to Juventus in 2018, we have seen Karim Benzema turn back the clock and start playing as he used to at Lyon.
Benzema, who was an expert at creating space for Ronaldo to slide into, is now Real Madrid’s most prolific goalscorer, and Madridistas couldn’t be happier.
Changing his entire persona with a flick of a switch is hardly straightforward, but the Frenchman seems to have mastered it. Unlike most centre-forwards, Benzema is not one-dimensional and has a knack for keeping opposition players guessing.
He drops deep, draws defenders out, switches play to wide areas, and even likes to try his luck from range.
To top it all off, he makes these clever runs behind opposition that are almost impossible to read. Being the focal point of Real Madrid’s attack, it has become almost impossible to ghost behind defenders.
However, it has not kept the France international from trying his luck and succeeding every now and then.
The 34-year-old has 17 goals and seven assists to his name in 20 La Liga games this season, making him the league’s top goal-contributor.
#4 Thomas Muller - Bayern Munich
Reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich are filled to the brim with superstars and potential world-beaters. But unlike traditional footballing powerhouses, the Bavarians aren’t too comfortable flaunting it all.
They are more comfortable in doing their talking on the pitch, devoid of unnecessary flash and showboating. Thomas Muller, who has been with the senior team since 2008, captures this understated spirit perfectly.
The German midfielder is a self-monikered 'Raumdeuter' or “interpreter of space,” and he has made it a point to live up to his name. His job as a 'Raumdeuter' isn’t to dribble brilliantly or score emphatically, it is, in fact, to find space and exploit them without drawing anyone’s attention.
Muller’s 'unrefined' football helps his case, as defenders often spend more time marking obvious threats than him out on the wide.
Thanks to his intelligence and brilliant runs, Muller has contributed with a bucketload of goals and assists in recent years.
Over the last three seasons, the 32-year-old has netted 37 goals and provided 72 assists for Bayern, emerging as one of their leading goal-contributors.
#3 Mohamed Salah - Liverpool
Liverpool ace Mohamed Salah has changed the shape of the Premier League since his return to the league in 2017. In many ways, the former Roma forward is the antithesis of a traditional Premier League winger.
He isn’t big or particularly strong and isn't a fan of showboating. What he does possess, however, is footballing intelligence and the ability to make smart, undetected runs.
When idle, Salah loves to stick to the right flank and bring his teammates into the game with quick exchanges. However, after the pace builds up, the right-winger gradually tends to make inroads into the box. Misplace him for a moment and he will use his acceleration to get past you and hit the back of the net with aplomb.
Salah has used his intelligence to lead the Premier League goalscoring charts this season. The Egypt international already has 16 goals to his name and looks on course for a record-breaking campaign.
#2 Robert Lewandowski - Bayern Munich
Officially “The Best” men’s player in the world, Robert Lewandowski, is the most prolific scorer in football right now. The Bayern Munich man has developed a knack for being in the right place at the right time, but it’s hardly a lucky coincidence. If you are not careful, you might miss out on the genius of his off-the-ball movement.
Lewandowski sticks to the central areas of the pitch for most of the match, but every now and then he drops to elude the spotlight. When the ball is played wide and his marker’s eyes are drawn towards it, Lewandowski emerges again and capitalizes on the defender’s lapse of concentration.
His footballing intelligence has been on full display this season, with the striker scoring 34 goals in 27 appearances across all competitions.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo - Manchester United
Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo may not be the goalscoring wizard he once was, but his off-the-ball movement remains unparalleled to this day.
In his prime, Ronaldo used to start on the left flank and used to take defenders head-on. His pace and trickery allowed him to get past his markers and test the opposition goalkeepers every now and then.
36-year-old Ronaldo cannot afford to use the same tricks now. Although he is still unbelievably quick for a man his age, the Portuguese ace prefers a more central role these days.
Making clever runs behind defenders and avoiding offside traps have become Ronaldo’s USP in recent years, and for good reason.
Banking on his clever movement, Ronaldo has come out as Manchester United’s leading goalscorer this season. The Portugal skipper has 14 goals to his name in all competitions this term - a decent return for a player in transition.
