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The knockout stage of Copa America 2021 will commence on Friday. The group stage featured quite a few exciting encounters. South American powerhouses like Argentina and Brazil have made it to the quarter-finals rather comfortably.
Top stars like Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. have showcased good form and have led their team from the front. They have also been adequately supported by their teammates and the knockout stage is expected to produce some exhilarating contests.
Copa America 2021 features some of the best midfielders in the world
Several high-profile midfielders are strutting their stuff at Copa America 2021. We have already witnessed some quality midfield battles in the tournament so far. Things will get even more interesting now that we're into the do-or-die phase of the tournament.
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Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the best midfielders at Copa America 2021 so far.
#5 Rodrigo De Paul (Argentina)
Rodrigo De Paul looked every bit the lively midfielder we're used to seeing for Udinese in Argentina's Copa America campaign so far. In Argentina's tournament opener against Chile, De Paul was a driving force from midfield and he looked threatening every time he embarked on runs.
He followed that up with an excellent performance in Argentina's 1-0 win over Uruguay. De Paul played the box-to-box role to great effect and contributed generously on both sides of the pitch. He was also great with his distribution and also kick-started the move for Argentina's only goal of the game.
De Paul had an excellent season with Udinese and is slowly becoming a mainstay in Argentina's midfield. He can play in various roles across midfield and also thrives on the wings and is being linked with a move to Atletico Madrid
#4 Fred (Brazil)
Fred has a reputation for being a tireless worker. But he has received heavy criticism for his erratic nature at Manchester United. Fred was not really expected to be a starter for Brazil at Copa America 2021.
But he has been a key player for Brazil so far at the continental tournament. He has been relentless alongside Casemiro and has hounded opposition attackers. The 28-year-old's distribution has also been on point. Fred's tenacity when not in possession has helped Brazil greatly so far.
The Manchester United midfielder has linked up well with the attackers but has not exactly been at his creative best. But there's still time for that as Fred is likely to start for Brazil in the knockout stages.
Also read: Euro 2020: Paul Merson’s predictions for the quarterfinal fixtures
#3 Alejandro Gomez (Argentina)
Alejandro 'Papu' Gomez was an unused substitute in Argentina's first two matches at Copa America 2021. With Rodrigo De Paul rested, Gomez was handed a start in the game against Paraguay. He scored Argentina's only goal of the game with a lovely lobbed finish over Paraguayan goalkeeper Antony Silva.
Gomez was also excellent in possession and drove Argentina forward whenever he got hold of the ball. The 33-year-old scored a delightful volley against Bolivia and also won a penalty for Lionel Scaloni's men.
The Sevilla man has displayed a lot of energy and drive in his two outings so far. Manager Lionel Scaloni is now faced with the difficult task of choosing between Argentina's talented midfield options.
#2 Casemiro (Brazil)
Casemiro was crucial to Brazil maintaining control over the midfield realms in their Copa America 2021 opener against Venezuela. He was his usual energetic self and snuffed out opposition attacks and kickstarted moves for his side. The Real Madrid midfielder did not shy away from joining his attackers on occasion either.
He was allowed a lot of freedom in the game against Colombia. Reinaldo Rueda's men were happy to sit back and Casemiro put his passing abilities on display. He kept spraying passes into the flanks and his forwards throughout. Casemiro also scored a dramatic 100th minute winner against Colombia.
He also restored a fair amount of control into the midfield after coming off the bench against Ecuador in Brazil's final group stage game.
#1 Guido Rodriguez (Argentina)
Defensive midfielder Guido Rodriguez has been in great form for La Albiceleste at Copa America 2021. He played a starring role in all of Argentina's three wins in the group stage.
He turned in a match-winning performance against Uruguay. Rodriguez scored the only goal of the game after latching on to an inch-perfect cross from Lionel Messi. He also stood his ground against Rodrigo Bentancur and did a great job at impeding the opposition's attacks.
He was a lively presence in midfield in the game against Paraguay. Rodriguez was one of Argentina's best players in their final group stage game against Bolivia as well. The 27-year-old made as many as three interceptions. His recovery game was on point and he was also excellent at spurring Argentina's forays into the final third.
