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Sir Alex Ferguson once said, “Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles”. The saying is quite true though some people might have other opinions. But what can’t be denied is how much importance a defence has in determining the team's overall performance all across the season.
Teams like Juventus and Atletico Madrid have been the torchbearers of having a great defensive base that opposition teams find difficult to breach. Both teams have had great successes in their domestic leagues as well as in Europe, although the Turin giants are trying to shift their focus on developing a better balance between attack and defence with the recent acquisitions of Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala.
Modern-day defenders not only guard their goal against attacking threats but also initiate attacking moves. The role of the modern fullbacks has changed drastically. Gone are the days when the back four used to maintain their shape even while attacking.
New age fullbacks like Marcelo and Dani Alves act more like wingers who overlap at every opportunity to provide crosses and an attacking threat in the opposition box.
So with that in mind, let’s take a look at 5 attacking defenders to watch out for in the 2018-19 season:
#5 Jordi Alba (Barcelona)
Jordi Alba has become one of the best left backs in the world since joining Barcelona in 2012. Alba is not only strong in defence but also has the ability to link up well with the attack - especially with Lionel Messi, as they have combined beautifully in the past to score goals.
Alba, who made his name with Valencia, has been a regular starter for Barcelona and Spain since 2012. Last season, the Spaniard contributed with 3 goals and 8 assists in all competitions. Amazingly, the Spanish left-back has scored 8 international goals in just 66 appearances, thus, providing a great attacking outlet.
The former Valencia man announced himself on the international stage as he scored the second goal in the 4-0 drubbing of Italy during the 2012 European Championship final. With the likes of Vidal and Arthur joining the club and the developing telepathic relationship with Philippe Coutinho on Barcelona left, Alba's attacking outputs are expected to be at an all-time high.
#4 Marcelo (Real Madrid)
Marcelo Viera is a player who needs no introduction. The Brazilian full-back has been a vital key in Real Madrid's European domination in the past five years. Being a Brazilian, Marcelo is very comfortable on the ball as well as possesses some amazing dribbling skills.
The 30-year old Real Madrid left-back gets forward at every available opportunity, having formed a dangerous combination on the left with Cristiano Ronaldo for the past nine years. Marcelo scored 5 goals and provided 7 assists during the 2017/18 season and such a phenomenal output has become a common occurrence for the Brazilian maestro now.
Since joining Los Blancos twelve years ago, the curly-haired magician has scored 33 times in more than 450 appearances for the club. The Brazilian has also been decent on the international scene with 6 goals coming in 58 appearances.
Even with Ronaldo gone, there will be no stopping of Marcelo's attacking instincts and it remains to be seen if he can replicate his output without the Real Madrid legend.
#3 Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
Since breaking out as an 18-year old for RB Leipzig, Kimmich was always destined for great things. As a result of his performances, a move to Bayern Munich soon followed.
At Bayern, Kimmich was always seen as the natural replacement for legendary right back Philip Lahm, both at the club and international level. The 23-year hasn't cracked under pressure and has become a starter for both Bayern and the German national team.
Last season, Kimmich scored a handful of 6 goals for the German giants, out of which four of them came in the Champions League. The young man also scored in both legs of the Semi-finals against Real Madrid which eventually turned out to be in vain.
Kimmich also set up a whopping 10 goals for Bavarian giants in the Bundesliga last season. Even though Germany couldn’t perform well in the World Cup, but they were brilliant during the qualification phase, thanks in part to Joshua Kimmich, who scored twice and provided 9 assists in 10 appearances.
With attacking returns as mentioned above, Kimmich is currently one of the best in setting up goals and certainly has the quality to continue his progress this season.
#2 Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
Love him or hate him, the opposition cannot ignore him. The current Real Madrid captain has marked his name in the footballing books as one of the best defenders of all time. Apart from having brilliant leadership and defending skills, the Spanish centre-back is one of the most lethal players in front of goal.
Ramos who has represented Los Blancos since 2005, has 73 Real Madrid goals to his name. Alongside this, the Real Madrid captain has also scored 13 times for the Spanish national team.
The most amazing thing about Ramos' goalscoring record is the fact that most of them have come at crucial circumstances. Ramos scored a brace against Bayern during the 2014 Champions League semis and followed it up with a stoppage-time equalizer against their city rivals, which helped them win 'La Decima'.
The story doesn't end here as he once again scored in the UCL final against the same opponents two years later. The match ended 1-1 and Real won it on penalties.
Last season wasn't the best one for Ramos in terms of the attacking output but still, he managed to score 5 goals. With Ronaldo gone, the 32-year old becomes one of the oldest members of the squad and would once again look to step up and score at important times this season.
#1 Marcos Alonso (Chelsea)
A former Sunderland and Bolton Wanderers reject, Marcos Alonso has come a long way since those days. Starting out at Real Madrid Castilla, the Spanish full-back came under the spotlight with his performances for ACF Fiorentina in Italy that convinced Chelsea to fork out £24 million for his services.
The former Real Madrid academy graduate possesses natural attacking flair despite playing as a defender. Antonio Conte understood his skills and played him as the left wingback that somewhat limited his defensive contributions and maximized his attacking prowess.
As a result, the Spanish international chipped in with 14 goals in his last two seasons at Stamford Bridge. The left-back also possesses brilliant free kick attributes.
Marcos Alonso scored 7 times and provided 2 assists during the 2017/18 Premier League season, continuing from where he left off during the 2016/17 season.
Despite struggling against pacy attackers, Alonso has created a definite role for him at Stamford Bridge. With the more attacking Maurizio Sarri taking over at Chelsea, expect Alonso to improve even more.
