Ranking the 5 best attacking trios in world football right now
Attacking trios have always captured the imagination of fans and connoisseurs alike. That's because football, in essence, is a game that is won by the team that outscores the opposition. If a team can assemble a devastating front three, more often than not, they'll overwhelm opposition teams by scoring a plethora of goals.
Throughout the history of the game, there have been many fabulous attacking trios for clubs and countries.
A few examples in this regard would be Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas and Francisco Gento of Real Madrid; Ronaldo Nazario, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho of Brazil, and more recently Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale of Real Madrid, and Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez of Barcelona, to name a few.
All these trios have achieved roaring collective success for their respective teams, with all four trios considered some of the best attacking triumvirates to have graced the game. On that note, let's take a look at the five best attacking trios in the game heading into the 2021-22 season.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo, Alvaro Morata and Federico Chiesa | Juventus
The Juventus attacking trident of Cristiano Ronaldo, Alvaro Morata and Federico Chiesa is one of the best in the game at the moment.
The trio may have played only one season together, but sizzled as an attacking partnership, registering almost 100 goal contributions (70 goals, 27 assists). Ronaldo played predominantly down the center, while Morata and Chiesa operated on the wings; the Spaniard also played as a center-forward and a second striker at times.
Though Morata and Chiesa are not prolific scorers like Ronaldo, who scored 36 times last season, the duo more than made up for that by registering a high number of assists for the Portuguese star and other Juventus teammates.
Despite the trio's exploits, it was a shame that Juventus fared poorly in other areas - especially in defense - and failed to win their first league title in a decade.
It is worthwhile to note that both Morata and Chiesa are on loan, from Atletico Madrid and Fiorentina, respectively. All three of Ronaldo, Morata and Chiesa sizzled for their respective teams - Portugal, Spain and Italy - at Euro 2020, and will look to carry on in the same vein under new manager Massimiliano Allegri.
#4 Robert Lewandowski, Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane | Bayern Munich
Like the Juventus trio mentioned above, Bayern Munich's attacking trio of Robert Lewandowski, Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry have only played together for one season.
In Hansi Flicks' all-conquering team, Lewandowski once again sizzled in the center-forward role, plundering 48 goals in all competitions, including a record 41 haul in the Bundesliga.
Gnabry and Sane on the wings contributed only 21 goals between them and combined for 19 assists. The injured Gnabry failed to build on the exploits of his previous season, while Sane also produced a largely modest campaign.
However, they were massively complemented by the evergreen Thomas Muller, the Raumdeuter, who operated just behind Lewandowski and exploited the half-spaces between opposition defenders. The 31-year-old registered 21 assists for the second consecutive Bundesliga season as Bayern Munich won a record-extending ninth consecutive league title.
Under new manager Julian Nagelsmann, who prefers an exciting brand of attacking football, all four players are expected to enjoy stellar campaigns, especially the front three of Lewandowski, Sane and Gnabry.