Football, just like other sports, involves skills. One skill that is not lacking in any football game is tackling, said Arthur Lynch. Arthur Lynch was drafted in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, becoming the 155th overall draft pick that year. He played with the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Denver Broncos, and Atlanta Falcons in various capacities during his professional career. He was one of just two first-year players that were accepted into the NFL Business Management & Entrepreneurial Program at Aresty Institute of Executive Education.
Tackling is an art on its own. It is a skill requiring precision to stop the opponent from advancing with the ball. Though important, tackling can be dangerous, as even a slight error in timing and execution can result in the unwanted, both for the tackler and the receiving party.
Top bookmakers like 1xbet favor teams with the best tackers in football matches.
Some players are masters in tackling and have and have built up the capacity to execute the right tackle when needed. This article lists these players, specifically plying their trade in Europe.
1. Casemiro
The Brazilian may not be the most talked about in Carlo Ancelotti’s team, but he sure gives his all anytime he is called upon.
Deployed as a defensive midfielder for his Real Madrid side, Casemiro wastes no time lunging himself forward onto the ball in a sliding tackle to cut short the opponent’s journey and win the ball back for his side. In fact, his fierce challenges and tenacity earned him the nickname, “The Tank.”
In the La Liga 2021/2022 season, Casemiro recorded 2.5 tackles per game and a 60% successful duel rate. He replicated the same form in other competitions too, recording 2.7 tackles per game in the just concluded Champions League season, also helping his team lift the trophy.
2. Wilfred Ndidi
Wilfred Ndidi arrived at Leicester in 2017 as the purported replacement to Ngolo Kante, who had just left for Chelsea – certainly, he did fill the void! The Nigerian immediately fitted in, securing a spot in Leicester City’s starting lineup.
Since then, he has continued improving from season to season.
The defensive midfielder’s style of play is that of aggressive physicality, relishing every opportunity to go head to head with the opposing players. In the process, more often than not, a one-on-one challenge involving him always ends with him tackling the opponent to retrieve the ball.
All through his playing time in the Premier League, Ndidi’s tackle stats stand at 635 tackles in the league with a 62% success rate.
3. N’golo Kante
Off the pitch, the always smiling Frenchman looks like he can’t hurt a fly. On the contrary, his work rate in the field is top-notch.
Widely reputed as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, Kante is a rock in the heart of the midfield.
He is a box-to-box player with excellent defensive acumen and ball-recovery expertise. Despite his small size, Kante is not scared to take on opponents much bigger than himself.
Talk of his ball-winning mentality, N’golo Kante has mastered the art of interceptions with 503 interceptions since he arrived at the Premier league. In addition, his tackling capabilities are superb, notching up an impressive 675 tackles with a 62% success rate too.
4. Fabinho
Fabinho was not the player greeted with fanfare after his £40.5 million move from AS Monaco to Liverpool in 2018. However, four years down the line, it is evident to everyone that the Brazilian was the right deal.
The defensive midfielder has been very instrumental to Jurgen Klopp’s success as the Liverpool coach, helping his team win several trophies including the prestigious Champions League trophy.
As a defensive midfielder, Fabinho ensures that the ball does not get past him, exploring every approach to stop this from happening. He makes good use of his body, shadowing the opponent, and also uses his height to make those vital aerial interceptions.
Talk about his tackling skill, Fabinho, though not one to use a tackle as a first option, does not hesitate to employ it if it comes to that.
In the just concluded 2021/2022 season, he made a total of 47 tackles for Liverpool and has also been involved in 226 tackles since his arrival to the Premier League.
5. Marquinhos
Marquinhos was still a young kid when he arrived at PSG in 2013 and no one expected him to turn out the way he has.
However, Marquinhos has proved the doubters wrong, steadily improving his game every season, and can now be touted as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world.
The 28-year-old has the positional awareness and speed to match up with opponents trying to get past him and will struggle till he recovers the ball.
His tackling ability is also top-notch, recording an impressive 37 tackles last season. In fact, he has successfully recorded more than 20 tackles each season for the last five seasons.
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