A look at the greatest midfield partnerships of the 21st Century

#3 Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan and Italy)

Andrea Pirlo (R) and Gennaro Gattuso (L)

At No.3 we have arguably the greatest Italian midfield partnership to have graced the beautiful game. While Pirlo played the game as beautifully as anyone, Gattuso was the perennial ‘attack-breaker’, specialising in setting the platform for his more talented partner.

The Pirlo and Gattuso pairing is a prime example of beauty and the beast. The latter was a beast in midfield and was rarely outmuscled in the middle of the park. If one adds to that his never say die attitude and competitive spirit, one can guess why AC Milan and Italy enjoyed so much success in the mid-2000s.

Pirlo, meanwhile, was the orchestrator of AC Milan and Italy’s attacking play. With the ball at his feet, Pirlo had the ability to create something out of nothing. An ability which helped him carve open defences for fun. Additionally, Pirlo was an expert with the ‘dead ball’ and has several picture-book free kick goals to his name.

There aren’t many pairs who can hold a candle to Pirlo and Gattuso’s achievements. The duo won the World Cup in 2006 with Italy before exacting revenge on Liverpool in the 2007 UEFA Champions League final.

Thus, for these reasons, they make the top three of our list.