5 most underrated defenders in world football right now
The art of defending is a dying one. This is not to say that teams and managers have become narrow-minded in their approach towards football. There are still teams who love to have possession of the ball everywhere around the pitch at all times. Simultaneously, there are also low-block teams who sit back waiting for the opportunity and try to counter.
Yet there is nothing more outrageously celebrated than a goal; after all, unless you trouble the scoreboard, you can't decide on a winner.
But it's the spirit of defending that is somewhat overlooked and treated casually. There aren't many who exalt at the sight of an accurate tackle in the penalty box or when corners are won in full brute force against lunging strikers. Fame is skewed mostly in favor of those who score, rather than those who make the penultimate line of defense.
Modern football has some colossal defenders who are seen as prominent as the best goal-scorers in the world. However, with silverware and personal accolades being a central part of global football, there are those who fall short of the recognition they deserve. Needless to say, they continue their trade for this is what they enjoy doing the most, caring little about what the world thinks and says.
Celebrating the spirit of defending, here are the five most underrated defenders in the world right now.
#5 Stefan Savic | Atletico Madrid
Started in Manchester, nurtured himself in Florence and finally flourished and found fame in Madrid. Stefan Savic's recognition has been coming for some time. But now that he's staying fully fit for Atletico Madrid, he is using all that experience to turn himself into a leader at the back.
Jose Mourinho wanted to bring Savic to Tottenham Hotspur last year to replace Jan Vertonghen. Even though Savic was interested, Diego Simeone convinced him to stay for the season as they had the squad to challenge for the title.
Little did Savic know that from watching Manchester City win their first title in 2011 on the sidelines, he'd be at the centre of a title charge. He played a starring role as Atletico Madrid beat Real Madrid by two points to win the 2020-21 La Liga title.
Savic subiéndonos a la historia. 😍
Grande Stefan! 👌 Eres enorme! https://t.co/3d9f0kzp9M
The Montenegro international has been a resolute figure in Simeone's rock-solid backline. Savic made 33 appearances for Los Rojiblancos in their title-winning campaign and scored on one occasion.
He also played some exquisite long diagonal balls to allow Atletico to make a quick transition from back to front. Savic is solid in the air as well, and in fact won more aerial duels in the first half of last season than any other Atletico player.
#4 Stefan de Vrij | Inter Milan
Inter Milan finally broke Juventus' unbelievable domination in Serie A by stopping them last season from winning their tenth consecutive Scudetto. However, this capable team at Inter wasn't built overnight and one of their heroes who usually doesn't receive enough praise is Stefan De Vrij.
De Vrij is somewhat unlucky because he shares the Inter Milan dressing room with the likes of Achraf Hakimi (now at PSG) and Milan Skriniar, darlings of the Nerrazzuri audience. For his country, he plays with Virgil van Dijk and there is hardly anyone else the fans pay attention to in the Liverpool man's presence.
Inter Defender Stefan De Vrij: "We Believe We'll Go Through In Champions League Despite Real Madrid Defeat" sempreinter.com/2021/09/28/int…
Under Antonio Conte last season, De Vrij was a pillar in the Inter Milan defense and made 46 appearances overall. The Dutchman is as calm as you like, even under pressure from the biggest of figures pressing the ball. De Vrij occupies smart spaces that allow Inter to move the ball at the back.
He's definitely not as intense as Skriniar, but that's because he doesn't need to be. De Vrij is a ball-playing centre-back with the ability to evade pressure situations and create progressive passing opportunities for his team. He also proved to be a solid figure and marshaled the Netherlands back-line effectively in Van Dijk's absence at Euro 2020.