A look at the greatest midfield partnerships of the 21st Century

The game of football is cyclical in nature. Every now and then, one will find features that marked an era go completely out of vogue by the time the next generation comes around. However, despite all the various thesis, antithesis and synthesis (as explained by Hegel), one thing that has remained common has been the importance of midfielders.

The midfielders are the heartbeat of any team and they help in laying the foundation for the team’s success. Over the years, the role of the midfielder has also seen an evolution. While the box-to-box medios were in high demand in the early 2000s, these days we have specialist attacking and defensive midfielders.

Though the roles performed might have changed, their contributions remain as paramount as ever. Thus, as a tribute to these midfielders, we would look at the 5 best midfield partnerships of the 21st century.

Without further ado, here are the best midfield duos of the 21st century:

#5 Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso (Liverpool)

Gerrard and Alonso were immense for Liverpool

Xabi Alonso arrived in Merseyside in 2004 to mark the dawn of a new era at Anfield. Along with Luis Garcia, he was believed to bring the flair that Rafa Benitez dearly craved. However, it was his partnership with an existing Liverpool player which grabbed all the headlines.

Steven Gerrard had established himself as a firm favourite at Anfield yet he found another gear when paired with Alonso. The two complemented each other perfectly as the former was the epitome of a box to box midfielder and the latter always found him with laser-guided precision.

Having received his footballing education at Real Sociedad, Alonso was as accomplished a ball-player as any. While Gerrard did decently on his own at Anfield, the assurance of an elegant passer alongside helped him scale greater heights.

And the obvious beneficiary was their club, Liverpool. The duo inspired Liverpool to their famous 2005 UEFA Champions League triumph.

On the pitch, the two were as classy as they came and helped Liverpool dominate games in midfield. Thus, they rank at No.5 on our list.

#4 Roy Keane and Paul Scholes (Manchester United)

Keane and Scholes were as good as they came

For the major part of a decade, an Irishman and an Englishman ruled the Old Trafford pitch. They were none other than Roy Keane and Paul Scholes.

The duo of Scholes and Keane enjoyed a tackle or two in their heyday and were quite similar in that respect. However, the way they boasted of different skill-sets and complemented each other perfectly is what gets them on to this list.

Keane was the epitome of a midfield general. A general who would do anything to protect his battalion. Though it got him into trouble on more occasions than he would’ve liked, a sparkling trophy cabinet surely extinguished that anguish.

On the other hand, Scholes competes in a short list to be crowned one of the greatest ever passers of the football. In many ways, Scholes was an ‘un-English’ midfielder in the way he technically outplayed opponents. There weren’t many who enjoyed as good a vision as the ‘Ginger Maestro’ and this vision helped him unlock many a defence on numerous occasions.

Keane and Scholes represent two different ends of the spectrum when talking about the qualities looked for in a midfielder. The former specialised in breaking up the play while the latter was a genius after the play had been broken up. It would be hard to imagine either of them being better without the other alongside.

Hence, this pairing makes it to our list at No.4.

#3 Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan and Italy)

Andrea Pirlo (R) and Gennaro Gattuso (L)

At No.3 we have arguably the greatest Italian midfield partnership to have graced the beautiful game. While Pirlo played the game as beautifully as anyone, Gattuso was the perennial ‘attack-breaker’, specialising in setting the platform for his more talented partner.

The Pirlo and Gattuso pairing is a prime example of beauty and the beast. The latter was a beast in midfield and was rarely outmuscled in the middle of the park. If one adds to that his never say die attitude and competitive spirit, one can guess why AC Milan and Italy enjoyed so much success in the mid-2000s.

Pirlo, meanwhile, was the orchestrator of AC Milan and Italy’s attacking play. With the ball at his feet, Pirlo had the ability to create something out of nothing. An ability which helped him carve open defences for fun. Additionally, Pirlo was an expert with the ‘dead ball’ and has several picture-book free kick goals to his name.

There aren’t many pairs who can hold a candle to Pirlo and Gattuso’s achievements. The duo won the World Cup in 2006 with Italy before exacting revenge on Liverpool in the 2007 UEFA Champions League final.

Thus, for these reasons, they make the top three of our list.

#2 Zinedine Zidane and Claude Makelele (Real Madrid and France)

The Galacticos have defined Real Madrid this century and none were as technically gifted as the mercurial Zinedine Zidane. Blessed with the ability to pull rabbits out of the hat at will, Zidane enthralled the audiences each time he took the field.

However, while Zizou was grabbing all the headlines with his silky displays, there was a quiet, unassuming Frenchman behind him, who built a living being the ‘destroyer’ and mopping up after every opposition attack.

The Frenchman in question is arguably the greatest defensive midfielder to have stepped on to a football field: Claude Makelele.

Makelele was strong in the tackle and was unrivalled in his anticipation. To the annoyance of the opposition attackers, he was always in the right place at the right time. He was the complete defensive midfielder and while he may not have hogged the limelight, he was probably the most important Galactico of them all.

With him guarding the back four, Zidane was given freedom to roam across the pitch and cause havoc. And boy, did he do that.

The duo of Zidane and Makelele were so different in their outlook towards the game yet they formed as formidable a partnership as any. Probably that is the beauty of football: the ability to bring two completely contrasting personalities together and letting them provide a spectacle for the whole world.

Hence, for these reasons, they take the runner-up spot in our list.

#1 Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta (Barcelona and Spain)

Xavi and Iniesta won everything on offer with Barcelona and Spain

The top spot simply had to go to the two magicians who learnt their trade at La Masia: Xavi and Iniesta. The duo ruled football for half a decade and sowed the seeds for a footballing philosophy that exists even today (despite them not playing at the top level).

The Spaniards were very similar to each other yet they worked so effortlessly together. The only difference was probably their inclination to carry the ball. While Xavi was more of a spreader of passes, Iniesta was a mazy dribbler who carried the ball into the heart of the opposition.

However, what made them great was their understanding. Whenever Xavi had the ball, he telepathically knew where Iniesta would be and vice versa. Sir Alex Ferguson once famously quipped that the two were the ‘midfield carousel’ and if you take a look at their displays you wouldn’t be too shocked.

The pair won everything on offer on the planet and led their club and country to unparalleled success. Both possessed the ability to conjure magic in the blink of an eye and were a nightmare to play against.

They were a treat to watch and made the whole world fall in love with the game of football. The way they caressed the ball, the way they glided across the pitch and the way they created space was a sight to behold.

They don’t make such midfield partnerships anymore. As simple as that. Thus, it is no surprise that they top our list of the greatest midfield partnerships in the 21st century.

Edited by Debjyoti Samanta