5 midfield combinations we would like to see this season

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#3 N’Golo Kante and Tiemoue Bakayoko

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TURIN, ITALY - MAY 09:  Paulo Dybala of Juventus is challenged by Tiemoue Bakayoko of Monaco during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Juventus and AS Monaco at Juventus Stadium on May 9, 2017 in Turin, Italy.  (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Bakayoko against Paulo Dybala
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This will be a hit-or-miss pair for Antonio Conte. Playing a 3-4-3 with a double pivot in the midfield always requires a lot of hard work from the midfielders for the system to work. Last season, Chelsea did very well with Kante and Nemanja Matic in the middle.

With Bakayoko, things will get a little different.

Pairing with Bakayoko not only ensures defensive stability, but also means Kante gets a partner who is quite similar to him in several aspects. For starters, Bakayoko likes to dribble and rush forward with the ball – a trait that even the former Leicester man has.

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Both of the midfielders also have great defensive attributes, but Bakayoko is slightly better in the air. When these two are paired up, expect them to take turns rushing forward in an attempt to disrupt the opponent’s defence.

But there is also a risk of them being too similar to play in tandem.

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