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Set pieces sometimes produce goals of astounding beauty. Goals that change the course of a game or even that of a competition. A brilliantly worked free-kick or a well-taken corner can often be the difference between a win and a loss.
Remember David Beckham's free-kick against Greece? Two-and-a-half minutes into stoppage time, England trailed by 2 goals to 1. They needed just one goal to qualify for the 2002 World Cup. England got a free-kick around 35 yards away from the goal and Beckham raised the roof by converting it to a goal and taking England to the World Cup finals.
We all know how decisive a set-piece can be. Without much ado, let us take a look into the top 5 set-piece takers in Europe at the moment.
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Note: Set-pieces include penalties, corners as well as free-kicks.
#5 Daniel Parejo - Valencia
Dani Parejo has been a part of Valencia's setup since 2011 after spending his formative years at Real Madrid and Getafe. Parejo is a product of Real Madrid's youth academy, joining Los Blancos at the age of 14.
The Spain International is known for his playmaking abilities and he has developed a reputation for being an expert free-kick taker, besides being a more than capable midfield general. The Valencia captain is also known for his pin-point corners which have led to many goals.
Parejo has not yet received the same attention as his compatriots playing in similar positions, as shown by his lack of senior caps for La Roja.
#4 Miralem Pjanić - Juventus
Bought by Juventus as a replacement for Paul Pogba, 28-year-old Miralem Pjanic has been the chief playmaker for Juventus. He became one of the best midfielders in Serie-A during his time in Rome, and Juventus signed him in the summer of 2016. Since then, the Bosnian international has been an integral player for Juventus, winning two Serie A and two Coppa Italia titles. He has been also named twice in the Serie A Team of the Year: 2015-16 and 2016-17.
Gifted with amazing technical ability, playmaking skills, and tactical versatility, Pjanic is perhaps best known for his incredible set-piece taking abilities.
Pjanic has scored some absolute beauties for both his club and country in the last few years. Not only is he known for his accurate bending direct free-kicks, but he is also renowned for delivering questioning balls into the box from anywhere on the pitch.
#3 Gylfi Sigurdsson - Everton
Gylfi Sigurdsson is undoubtedly one of the best strikers of a dead ball. The Iceland international scored many amazing free-kick goals for Swansea, and his incisive corners and set-pieces were a major reason for the Welsh side's survival in the Premier League. Since joining Everton in 2017, he has been a regular starter and an important player for the Toffees.
Sigurdsson is a playmaker par excellence, known for his vision, skills and technical abilities. That's the reason why Everton bought him at reportedly £40 million. Sigurdsson is always a threat from dead ball situations and is equally effective in scoring direct free-kicks and setting up teammates from free-kicks and corners.
The fact that he has so many different ways of taking a free-kick makes him such an effective set-piece taker. The Icelandic footballer is definitely one of the best free-kick takers in the world at the moment.
#2 Neymar - Paris Saint-Germain
The world's most expensive player for a reason, Neymar is supremely talented; his skills and technical abilities are next to none. He is the man who always performs well in big matches and under pressure situations. The Brazilian is one of the best players in the world behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
He has been consistent in scoring goals as well as providing assists. His play-making ability is a stand out among others. Often criticized for diving, critics have been against him since he switched from Barcelona to PSG in 2017.
His best performance for the Catalan side was arguably in the Champions League against PSG. He scored an absolute stunning free-kick goal from around 25 yards in the 88th minute. He then kept going and scored a penalty in the first minute of injury time. And to destroy the hopes of PSG, he then provided the assist for Sergi Roberto's goal which completed Barcelona's magical comeback against all odds.
His performances clearly show he is god-gifted and why he is the world's most expensive player. He is an absolute genius when it comes to taking set-pieces.
#1 Lionel Messi - Barcelona
One of the greatest players in the history of football, Lionel Messi has incredible talent when it comes to scoring or creating goals. His consistency has been amazing as he has been on top for more than 10 years. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is an absolute genius.
Messi has made taking free-kicks an art. He has often scored some spectacular curling free-kicks at crucial intervals; he's a threat from any angle and any distance. Capable of going over the wall, curling into the top corner or scoring under the wall, Messi's varied and effective set-pieces have time and again proven to be the difference in crucial matches. In the Copa Centenario, one of Messi's free-kicks for Argentina was even nominated for the Puskas award.
This season he became one of the few players who scored two free-kicks in a single match. One should enjoy watching Messi as we will surely never see a player of his quality again.
