Who are the top ten central defensive pairings in the game right now?
SEE MORE:
Live rugby streaming: Ireland v South Africa match preview
Pique Chelsea – Barca star to reject Man Utd
Liverpool Chelsea combined XI
According to some commentators, notably former Manchester United star Gary Neville, the art of defending is dying in the modern game. This list of the ten finest central defensive partnerships in world football, however, shows that there are some quality defenders left in world football:
10) Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic (Borussia Dortmund)
Both Hummels and Subotic are fine players on the ball and good defenders on their day, but have struggled as BvB have tumbled to the foot of the Bundesliga table this season.
9) Gerard Pique and Jeremy Mathieu (Barcelona)
Barcelona may still be one of the finest sides in world football, but their defensive can let them down on occasion – Pique and Mathieu still make this top ten, however.
8) Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker (Arsenal)
Koscielny and Mertesacker have been one of the finest partnerships in the Premier League over recent seasons despite a slow start to this campaign.
7) Vincent Kompany and Eliaquim Mangala (Manchester City)
Despite Mangala’s slow start to life as a City player he still has the ability to justify this placing of seventh during the coming seasons.
6) Mehdi Benatia and Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich)
Bayern Munich are one of the finest teams on the planet under the management of former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola, but Boateng and Benatia perhaps isn’t the strongest area of their team.
5) David Luiz and Thiago Silva (Paris Saint Germain)
Only the erratic nature and desire to burst forward at the wrong occasion of David Luiz stops this PSG and Brazilian partnership from making it even higher on this list.
4) Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus)
Chiellini and Bonucci are the pairing for both Juventus and Italy, having developed a strong understanding and ability to cover each other over the years.
3) Miranda and Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid)
The performances of South American duo Miranda and Godin at the heart of Diego Simeone’s defence last season led Atletico to a La Liga title and to within seconds of the Champions League.
2) John Terry and Gary Cahill (Chelsea)
Despite the advancing years of John Terry, he and Gary Cahill retain a fine understanding and are as physically imposing as any partnership in Europe.
1) Sergio Ramos and Pepe (Real Madrid)
Keeping stunning youngster Raphael Varane out of the team is some achievement, but that is exactly what Ramos and Pepe are doing at the Bernabeu.