{"id":1079204,"date":"2019-06-05T09:45:21","date_gmt":"2019-06-05T08:45:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1079204"},"modified":"2019-06-05T08:32:57","modified_gmt":"2019-06-05T07:32:57","slug":"best-centre-back-partnerships-international-football","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/best-centre-back-partnerships-international-football\/","title":{"rendered":"Ranked: The best centre-back partnerships in international football"},"content":{"rendered":"

Centre-back partnerships are one hell of a thing, especially at international level.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Watching two defenders pair up and become a great duo for clubs is nice, sometimes the pair can even develop a genuine love for the club they play for. But for many footballers nothing can beat playing for your country, there’s just an inherent passion to it, so when a duo forms, players that regularly meet up every few months to be the bedrock of a side, that’s special.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/audioboom.com\/posts\/7278637-klopp-must-solve-wenger-s-dilemma-to-take-liverpool-forward<\/p>\n

We’ve had a look around international football and come up with a list of the 10 best centre-back partnerships right now. Obviously inherent quality and success will play a factor, but form and health are key here.<\/p>\n

10. Davinson S\u00e1nchez and Yerry Mina<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Colombia, 36 combined caps<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Potentially one of the best partnerships in the world, S\u00e1nchez and Mina are two young stud centre-backs with enormous potential. Sure, neither have really actualised that just yet, but their skill-sets are all-encompassing. S\u00e1nchez is a future world-star and whilst Mina isn’t as rounded, he absolutely dominates in the air and does so with the kind of consistency that will make him a terror to attack.<\/p>\n

9. Jonathan Tah and Niklas Sule<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Germany, 23 combined caps<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Germany has finally moved on from the Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels partnership that was too handsome to ever function long-term after such early success with their World Cup win. In Tah and Sule they have a partnership that is physically imposing, athletically awesome and technically crisp. It’s BEEFCAKE CENTRAL at the back for Die Mannschaft. Seriously, these are two very big lads and this could be a very special partnership.<\/p>\n

8. Marquinhos and Thiago Silva<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Brazil, 112 combined caps<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Brazil are known for their flamboyant attacking play but more often than not their teams this century have been built on a very solid defence and in Marquinhos and Thiago Silva they have a partnership straight out of the club game to provide just that. Miranda is an incredible third-choice here, alternating with Silva as the experienced veteran who holds it together whilst Marquinhos is the roaming, roving stopper. A formidable unit!<\/p>\n

7. Pepe and Ruben Dias<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Portugal, 114 combined caps<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Pepe is one of those centre-backs who has been so good for so long that he just doesn’t get the appreciation he deserves. The most solid presence for Portugal when they won Euro 2016, the centre-back was arguably the most important player in that side. Jose Fonte was his partner then but now Dias has emerged as a quality young defender to go alongside the wily veteran. This pair make a formidable roadblock for anyone who would want to get at Portugal’s goal and deny them Nations League glory.<\/p>\n

6. Salif San\u00e9 and Kalidou Koulibaly<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Senegal, 61xx combined caps<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Koulibaly is so good you could honestly pair him with almost anyone and he’d make this list, but San\u00e9 is a centre-back with great skill in his own right. The 28-year-old had a poor season for Schalke right now but alongside Koulibaly he becomes a stable presence meanwhile the Napoli man is part astrodynamics engineer calculating vectors and flight paths whilst also being part wrecking ball, swinging in to obliterate opponents.<\/p>\n