7 Best midfield duos in recent years

The midfield is the heart of the team. Those playing in the middle dictate the style, pace and directness of the play.It doesn't just demand talented players, but also players that can combine well and get the best out of the others.Here's a look at some of the most exemplary midfield duos.Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the author and do not reflect those of the website.

#7 Fernandinho and Yaya Toure

Yaya Toure has always been a gifted player, but his best was only brought to the fore in the 2013/14 season when he was partnered with Fernandinho.

Toure is the more attacking player and is often seen bombing forward with late runs into the box while Fernandinho screens the defence. It is not a rigid structure though, both have an understanding which allows them to take turns in going forward making the City team hard to predict.

Another aspect to both these players’ games is their physicality. Both are physical players, and as such, keeping with their stature, it is hard to bully them on the pitch. It has often been the case that opposition teams have felt bullied in the their presence.

They are comfortable on the ball, but are also comfortable doing the dirty work and defedning when not in possession.

It is not just Toure and Fernandinho that have benefitted from the partnership, but also the smaller more skilled players, like David Silva and Samir Nasri, who have been afforded a level of protection with these two in tow.

#6 Luka Modric and Xabi Alonso

It is unfortunate that Real Madrid executives have seen it fit to let go of Xabi Alonso after a delightful season partnering Luka Modric.

Madrid have a vast arsenal of attacking players and the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Angel Di Maria attracted all the headlines. But doing the hard work behind them was the duo of Alonso and Modric.

The pair started off shakily. But once they got used to each other, they were the foundation of Madrid and their success in achieving La Decima – their 10^th European crown. The personnel in Madrid’s attack meant that the onus of defending and creating chances was solely on the midfield, a task that the duo did phenomenally. Both are exceptionally gifted players, but the combination made for something special.

It was evident in the 2014 Champions League final that Madrid were lacking something in midfield as Alonso was out due to suspension. Madrid eventually won, but it may not have been as tough had Alonso started the game.

#5 Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal

Andrea Pirlo was thought to have been past his best when he was released from AC Milan, but he seemed to have found his best years by combining with a ferocious box-to-box midfielder in Arturo Vidal.

Vidal’s tenacity has proved to be a refuge for Pirlo’s weaknesses, brought about by age. Vidal covers more ground while Pirlo provides creativity. It has proved to be a fatal combination for teams in Italy as Juventus gazumped the competition to win the Serie A title three seasons in a row.

Pirlo’s age, thought to be his weakness, is now just a number. He has a partner that lets him maximise his talents irrespective of his limitations. Vidal, too, has grown as a player, from just an energetic player, to a player that can contribute both in attack and defence.

The partnership, while being effective for the team, has also allowed the players to flourish as individuals.

#4 Patrick Vieira and Gilberto

Arsene Wenger’s initial success at Arsenal was built around the midfield partnership of Emmanuel Petit and Patrick Vieira. Both had a chemistry which translated well on the pitch, for both Arsenal and France.

When Petit was, eventually, sold to Barcelona in 2000, many doubted if he could ever be replaced, or if the new player coming in could bond with Vieira the way Petit did.

But in 2002 came Gilberto Silva and assuaged all the fears of the Arsenal fans with his sturdy displays. He was instrumental in the FA Cup winning team that season but his real talent was on show in the 2003/04 season where he partnered with Vieira to help Arsenal to an unbeaten season in the league.

Gilberto was deployed as the screening midfielder which prompted Vieira to play a more box-to-box role which aided the team’s counter-attacking strengths. Arsenal, primarily a technical team, were never bullied on the pitch owing to the presence of these two metronomes.

Wenger has tried hard to replicate the partnership with other midfielders, but has failed so far to recreate the magic of Vieira and Gilberto.

#3 Zinedine Zidane and Claude Makelele

Zidane Makelele — Claude Makelele and Zinedine Zidane

The Galacticos failed to capture the fans’ imagination, but they did show an early promise which later abated after the sale of Claude Makelele. Zidane never quite found a partner to match Makelele, and the team suffered.

Makelele was a no nonsense midfielder. His first priority, and sometimes his only priority, was to keep the ball away from his goal. He was tenacious, he was powerful and an incredibly smart player; so much that the defensive midfield position has often been dubbed the ‘Makelele role’.

Zidane, on the other hand, was the definition of finesse. He wandered around the pitch exhibiting magic every time he was on the ball. He had the ability to carry the ball into the attack and even score goals when needed. He could also be a physical force at times, but his primary skill was in the attack.

His pairing with Makelele was a perfect match, both complementing each other’s strengths. In the period that both played together in midfield (2001-2003), Real Madrid won the league twice (2001,2003) and the Champions League in 2002.

Having failed to replace Makelele, Madrid suffered and it ultimately led to the disbanding of the Galacticos.

#2 Paul Scholes and Roy Keane

Most of Manchester United’s early success under Sir Alex Ferguson has come with these two in midfield. Scholes was the technically gifted player with the ability to spot a pass while Keane ran rampant in the midfield.

Manchester United in the ‘90s relied heavily on their wingers. Ryan Giggs and David Beckham were expected to contribute in every match. But for them to perform, they needed Scholes and Keane.

Keane protected the defence with his tenacious running and tackling, covering every blade of grass, haggling tougher opponents and, sometimes, even intimidating the opponents with his tough attitude while Scholes took the burden of creativity exposing gaps in opposition defences and allowing Giggs and Beckham to wreak havoc.

The pinnacle of their partnership has to be the treble winning season in 1999, where they combined, with grit and determination, to keep United competitive on all three fronts.

#1 Xavi and Andres Iniesta

Xavi and Iniesta are ethereal players, both magnificent and supremely gifted, enough to be able to uplift a team on their own. But to be playing for the same club as partners has been a gift to all football fans worldwide.

Both formed the fulcrum of, what is said to be, the greatest team in the history of club football. Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona was built on a platform provided by the duo, an unlikely partnership given both are fairly attack minded players.

Partnerships are often built with a defensive player complementing an overtly attacking one, but with Xavi and Iniesta, both were attacking and both were very good at it. Xavi dominated possession, threading passes through packed defences, while Iniesta found spaces to run into with his smart movement. Their lack of defensive nous was never an issue. Other teams couldn’t get the ball off of them.

Their partnership has to be the best ever, with it yielding every trophy available to win and it has seen a comprehensive change in football, with more and more managers attempting to recreate their magic with similar players.

None have been successful so far showing just how good these two are.

Edited by Staff Editor