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The art of defending is a dying one. This is not to say that teams and managers have become narrow-minded in their approach towards football. There are still teams who love to have possession of the ball everywhere around the pitch at all times. Simultaneously, there are also low-block teams who sit back waiting for the opportunity and try to counter.
Yet there is nothing more outrageously celebrated than a goal; after all, unless you trouble the scoreboard, you can't decide on a winner.
But it's the spirit of defending that is somewhat overlooked and treated casually. There aren't many who exalt at the sight of an accurate tackle in the penalty box or when corners are won in full brute force against lunging strikers. Fame is skewed mostly in favor of those who score, rather than those who make the penultimate line of defense.
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Modern football has some colossal defenders who are seen as prominent as the best goal-scorers in the world. However, with silverware and personal accolades being a central part of global football, there are those who fall short of the recognition they deserve. Needless to say, they continue their trade for this is what they enjoy doing the most, caring little about what the world thinks and says.
Celebrating the spirit of defending, here are the five most underrated defenders in the world right now.
#5 Stefan Savic | Atletico Madrid
Started in Manchester, nurtured himself in Florence and finally flourished and found fame in Madrid. Stefan Savic's recognition has been coming for some time. But now that he's staying fully fit for Atletico Madrid, he is using all that experience to turn himself into a leader at the back.
Jose Mourinho wanted to bring Savic to Tottenham Hotspur last year to replace Jan Vertonghen. Even though Savic was interested, Diego Simeone convinced him to stay for the season as they had the squad to challenge for the title.
Little did Savic know that from watching Manchester City win their first title in 2011 on the sidelines, he'd be at the centre of a title charge. He played a starring role as Atletico Madrid beat Real Madrid by two points to win the 2020-21 La Liga title.
The Montenegro international has been a resolute figure in Simeone's rock-solid backline. Savic made 33 appearances for Los Rojiblancos in their title-winning campaign and scored on one occasion.
He also played some exquisite long diagonal balls to allow Atletico to make a quick transition from back to front. Savic is solid in the air as well, and in fact won more aerial duels in the first half of last season than any other Atletico player.
#4 Stefan de Vrij | Inter Milan
Inter Milan finally broke Juventus' unbelievable domination in Serie A by stopping them last season from winning their tenth consecutive Scudetto. However, this capable team at Inter wasn't built overnight and one of their heroes who usually doesn't receive enough praise is Stefan De Vrij.
De Vrij is somewhat unlucky because he shares the Inter Milan dressing room with the likes of Achraf Hakimi (now at PSG) and Milan Skriniar, darlings of the Nerrazzuri audience. For his country, he plays with Virgil van Dijk and there is hardly anyone else the fans pay attention to in the Liverpool man's presence.
Under Antonio Conte last season, De Vrij was a pillar in the Inter Milan defense and made 46 appearances overall. The Dutchman is as calm as you like, even under pressure from the biggest of figures pressing the ball. De Vrij occupies smart spaces that allow Inter to move the ball at the back.
He's definitely not as intense as Skriniar, but that's because he doesn't need to be. De Vrij is a ball-playing centre-back with the ability to evade pressure situations and create progressive passing opportunities for his team. He also proved to be a solid figure and marshaled the Netherlands back-line effectively in Van Dijk's absence at Euro 2020.
#3 Diego Carlos | Sevilla
The reason he has not been priced away from Sevilla yet is a question not many can answer with clarity. But Julen Lopetegui loves Diego Carlos and will be happy to keep hold of him for as long as possible. Carlos has an enviable engine and it's hardly a challenge for him to cover the length of the pitch.
Built like an ox, the Brazilian defender loves to impose himself on strikers and is a pain for those who thrive under space. Carlos loves to close in on his man and suffocate space. Since joining Sevilla, he has made 40+ appearances for them in all competitions in the previous two seasons and won the Europa League in his first campaign itself.
Playing alongside Jules Kounde, it has been a little difficult for Carlos to be the talk of the town on frequent occasions. The France international is much younger, more highly priced and even more versatile. But it's a centre-back partnership in the end and taking either one out is equally discomforting for the other.
Carlos' intensity and aggression makes him one of the most difficult defenders to contest for the ball in Europe. Sevilla have been great with counter attacks in recent times and one of the reasons is the big centre-back's ability to look for a midfield-slicing forward pass.
#2 Andreas Christensen | Chelsea
Mistakes are a part of the game and sometimes one can be judged a little too harshly. There was a time when Andreas Christensen was quite error-prone. Shy of controlling the ball, second-guessing his back passes to the keeper were things that would get him in trouble. However, Christensen was a young lad who was improving and with more maturity, he was only going to get better.
The test of patience has passed and the Chelsea fans can finally meet a confident and inspiring Christensen. The Dane has very capably held the outward centre-back position in Thomas Tuchel's demanding 3-4-3 over the last year. In his last 48 appearances for club and country, the Dane has managed 38 clean sheets, which is nothing short of remarkable.
He has also looked more inspiring on the ball and is not afraid to try shots from outside the box when given a chance. Christensen can be seen venturing out of his box with adventurous intent to contribute to Chelsea's play on various occasions. This is also something he did quite frequently in Denmark's dream campaign at Euro 2020, where they made it to the semi-finals.
#1 Joel Matip | Liverpool
Injuries and Virgil van Dijk are two reasons that put Joel Matip on this list and really that is just fate: you can't control those two. Clearly Jurgen Klopp was aware that Matip has a habit of occupying the treatment table quite often. Yet the club extended his contract in 2019, because on his day there was no messing with a fit Matip.
Last season, with Van Dijk injured, people realized how crucial Joel Matip could be for Liverpool. He partnered with makeshift centre-backs in defense, and made sure they did not have to do anything silly. Matip uses his big strides to bring the ball out of defense and is rarely seen misjudging his progressive passes.
In their title-winning 2018-19 campaign, Matip started 37 games for the Reds, where they won 25, and kept 17 clean sheets. His injection of pace in the build-up to play helped Liverpool and he made playing the high-line less of a danger.
