Copa America 2021: 5 best midfielders in the tournament so far
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.
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