5 defenders who are major offensive threats
Although the main duty of the players in front of the keeper is to make sure that their opponents don’t score, sometimes defenders can’t resist making those forward runs. Over the years, many defenders have made a name for themselves not only for their defending ability, but also their attacking prowess.
The modern day game is seeing more goals than ever, and as such, it is no surprise that many of them come from the back. From set pieces to overlapping runs and finishes, defenders are finding their teammates and the back of the net much more often lately. Here, we look at five current defenders who are major attacking threats in today’s game:
#5 Marcelo
Real Madrid’s left back is a force of nature when it comes to defending and attacking. One of the great modern day full-backs, Marcelo plays almost like a winger when his team are on the front foot.
Often spending half the game in the opponents’ half, the 28-year-old has scored over 25 goals for Real Madrid and set up over the same amount in his time at the Bernabeu. There is no doubt that Marcelo is the best left-back in the world and his attacking prowess is a big reason why he is regarded so. This season, he has been involved in 5 goals in all competitions and remains a threat throughout.
The Brazilian international is great at tracking back and his overlapping runs take the opposition defence by surprise. Perhaps his most famous goal came against rivals Atletico Madrid in the 2014 Champions League finals where he all but ended their resilience in extra time.