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Gone are the days where defenders were only meant to guard the fort and let the people ahead of them do the attacking. The beautiful game has evolved very fast to a very open, adventurous format, which requires teams to be a lot more flexible. As the game as developed, so have the roles and responsibilities within the team and the full backs have become increasingly important to their teams.
Even with all the advances in the modern game, there is still a dearth of good left footed footballers. As such, the role of the modern left back has been harder to fill now. A player is supposed to defend, aid his midfielders, press and then lunge forward to join the attack on every opportunity available. To do this for 90 minutes is not an easy task, especially with all the running and tracking involved.
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Thankfully, there are still a few good men who have championed this position and its nuances. Today, we pick out the top performers among them and bring you the 5 best left backs in the world this season.
Also see : Women's World Cup 2019, Womens World Cup Schedule, Womens World Cup Standings
#5 Ferland Mendy (France, Lyon)
The Frenchman has been fantastic for Lyon this season, and is a regular feature in the first team of the Ligue 1 side. He is blessed with speed and is quite good on the ball, which has helped him become one of the best left backs in the world this season.
Mendy is defensively sound and does not dive into tackles on every occasion. The left back is good with his interceptions and likes initiating counter attacks by sending long balls to his forward line. He is extremely talented on the ball and like to dribble his way up the field.
The Frenchman is also a great passer of the ball and has around 1.4 key passes per game this season. It is in the attacking third that Mendy has gathered a lot of attention, he has already scored 3 goals and picked up 2 assists from 39 games in all competitions. His performance has ensured that a lot of club are keeping track of his development and Mendy, on current form, is the 5th best Left Back in the World this season.
#4 Lucas Digne (France, Everton)
The Frenchman was considered excess to requirements at the Camp Nou, but since moving to the Premier League, the 25 year old have been a revelation. His performance has gathered a lot of attention and he has transformed into one of the best left backs of the season.
On the field, Digne is a marauding full back who is strong in defense and adventurous while venturing forward. He is quite comfortable with the ball at his feet and his crossing ability is one of his strongest points. Digne is also a good passer of the ball and has an eye for a through ball from the left. As a defender, he is proficient at blocking, intercepting opposition passes and winning the ball back.
This season, the Frenchman has also been decisive in the final third. He has scored 3 goals and picked up 4 assists from 30 games in all competitions and is the 4th best left back in the world right now.
#3 Alex Sandro (Brazil, Juventus)
The Juventus full back is another player who has been in exceptional form so far this season. Alex Sandro is a left back who can also play as in the left of midfield, such is his talent with the ball. The attacking left back is one of the best in the world right now and certainly the best in Serie A this season.
The Brazilian adds a trademark flair to his role on the pitch. He uses his speed to regularly run past the opposition and likes to join the attack as often as possible. He is also quite proficient at dribbling his way through the left side of the field. Sandro is a very good passer of the ball and has a pass completion rate of almost 86% in average this season.
The Juventus left back likes to send in crosses too, and also has the ability to hold on to the ball. He is a integral part of the Juventus defense, and has a fondness for tackles.
#2 Marcel Halstenberg (Germany, RB Leipzig)
The German left back has been stellar for his club this season and is another modern left back with an attacking mentality. Halstenberg has made a name for himself this season after a string of impressive performances on the field. He is adept at playing left back as he is at left midfield and his versatility has been a blessing for his club.
Halstenberg is a no nonsense defender who loves tackling. He is quite strong in the air as well as composed on the ground and rarely allows players to dribble past him. Like many of the best left backs in the world, Halstenberg loves going forward and is actually an excellent passer of the ball. He likes taking set pieces and is quite good at them too. Once on the ball, he likes to build up play by using short passing.
This season, the German has 1 goal and 6 assists from 23 games in all competitions and is the 2nd best left back in the world right now.
#1 Jordi Alba (Spain, Barcelona)
The Spaniard is an excellent player and has been one of the mainstays of the Barcelona team for the last couple of seasons. Alba has build an excellent partnership with Lionel Messi in recent years and their combination has been highly fruitful for the Catalans in recent times.
Alba is a skillful fullback who knows his way around the pitch with the ball at his feel. He is full of running and spends most of his time either trying to pin the opposition back or running into open spaces in the opposite half. He is very useful in the counter, where the excellent Barcelona midfielders easily spot his cunning runs and Jordi Alba almost always makes the opposition pay. But the Barcelona left back also takes his defending very seriously - he is excellent in intercepting the play and also very composed at the back.
The Spaniard can spot a pass very well and it is not a wonder that he has already amassed 10 assists so far this season from 40 games in all competitions. Alba has also scored 2 goals, and on current form, is the best left back in world football right now.
