A successful strike partnership doesn’t come easy, a deadly duo can take any team to a great pinnacle, win laurels almost single-handedly with their goal-scoring exploits, and have a lasting imprint in the club’s history
Some have awed the footballing world with their goal scoring prowess, while others have utilized their physicality to propound their dominance over their adversaries.
We’ve seen a great partnership of Manchester United’s treble-winning duo of Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole, the invincible Arsenal’s Premier League-winning duo of Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, and not to forget Raul and Morientes alliance.
A lot of pairings were extraordinary, but there have been some who were absolutely unplayable.
Here are Europe’s top 8 strike partnerships of the 2019/20 season that contributed significantly towards their clubs’ success
- Sadio Mane & Mo Salah – (Liverpool, 45 Goals, 20 Assists)
The two of the finest African stars have been carving defenses open for their team together for a while now. Last season was a fantastic campaign for them, as the duo combined together to help the Kop achieved their first English title success in 30 years.
The strike partnership between Mane and Salah was well established by the start of 2018-19, since then they’ve been an irresistible attacking duo for Jurgen Kloop led side. With their cohesion level and understanding offensive wise, Liverpool won the UEFA Champions League and finished runners-up in the Premier League.
As the 2020-21 season continues to mature, the Liverpool’s duo has continued to show signs of what to expect from them in the league and Europe with their scoring partnership.
Except for injury or loss of form, we should expect the duo to also have a wonderful season, and perhaps help the Anfield side win their second Premier League title, as well as go far in Europe.
- Ciro Immobile & Joaquin Correa – (Lazio, 48 Goals, 12 Assists)
Immobile’s career trajectory has been somewhat strange, although he was always judged with his torrid time at Sevilla and Dortmund where he failed to convince many. However, we can’t forget in a hurry how he’s been able to bounce back from those difficult periods and went on to be Seria A highest goalscorer with an amazing partnership with Joaquin Correa.
The Argentine forward has not only caught the eyes of many suitors in Seria A but also across Europe’s top leagues. The forward has taken his game to a new heights at Lazio since he joined from Sevilla in 2018, and he’s been able to form an amazing partnership with Ciro Immobile in front of goal.
Correa has been able to interpret the role of a second striker well and also link-up between the midfield to the attacking third with Immobile.
Although Immobile carries a huge burden of making sure he get the goals for the Rome-based team, which he was able to achieve through a brilliant partnership that got them a place in the group stage of the Champions League.
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- Mason Greenwood & Marcus Rashford – (Manchester United, 33 Goals, 9 Assists)
One unique thing about the two forward is that they both made their debut at age 18. Greenwood’s rise to prominence gathered a lot of positive thoughts from both the fans and the media. Having completed his transition from the academy to Manchester United first team and he has furthered been touted to be the next England’s striker.
Both Rashford and Greenwood wouldn’t have enjoyed a lot of positive thoughts and recognition from the fans if not for the amazing understanding they had last season. Rashford becomes United’s talisman in attack with 20 goals to his name in all competitions and Greenwood with 15 goals, 2 assists.
The English duo are last season one of the main beneficiaries of Solsjkaer’s faith in United’s youngsters, with the likes of Daniel James and McTominey.
The duo was very instrumental in making sure United’s chances of qualifying for the biggest European club competition didn’t come short.
- Lionel Messi & Luis Suarez – (Barcelona, 49 Goals, 34 Assists)
With 28 and 22 goals respectively, the Barcelona duo is arguably the best potent attacking pair in the history of the club. The former Liverpool forward and Messi formed a formidable partnership since he joined the club in 2014 both on and off the pitch.
It’s no news that since Neymar left for Paris Saint Germain, the synergy between Messi and Suarez on the pitch has been very monstrous in tearing teams apart. And behind the Argentine, Suarez has always been Barcelona’s most outstanding player, even when he’s out injured he comes back into the team with more goals.
The simple fact that he scored an impressive 198 goals in a total of 283 appearances before he left for the red side of Madrid is a testament to how great the Uruguayan forward ranks among the Catalan fans.
More so, his partnership with Messi is one of the reasons why Barcelona was able to stay at the top of its game for so long, although Messi may not have the luxury of partnering with his friend anymore, Suarez will always be his favorite partner.
- Romelu Lukaku & Lautaro Martinez – (Inter Milan, 53 Goals, 10 Assists)
Lukaku and Martinez have developed into one of Europe’s finest strike partnerships since the arrival of the Belgian in the summer of 2019 from United where he was under-appreciated by Solsjkaer.
One of the characteristics of their partnership has to do with their movement on a counter once their team gets the ball and press to attack the opponent.
With the understanding both possess on and off the pitch, it looks like Martinez and Lukaku have been playing together for a long time, whereas they’ve only started playing together just last summer. Both struck up a partnership in a 3-5-2 formation that’s seen them wreak havoc domestically.
The Belgian and Argentine combination was so good that it’s got them into the final of the UEFA Europa League last season, unfortunately, they lost to the king of the competition (Sevilla).
Perhaps we might get to see such a great partnership once again in Seria A and Europe this season.
- Timo Werner & Marcel Sabitzer – (RB Leipzig, 45 Goals, 20 Assists)
RB Leipzig has arguably been the most attractive and spectacular football club in the last decade since it was founded by the famous energy drink company ‘Red Bull’ in 2009. Surprisingly in less than ten years, they’ve been able to produce one of Europe’s finest strikers and the club’s highest goalscorer in the history of the club (Timo Werner).
For some football enthusiast who didn’t see the German play at RB Leipzig, at least with him now at Chelsea they should be able to come to term with how good the former RB Leipzig forward is, with the way he’s been growing into life at London and with the Chelsea squad.
Werner’s career at Leipzig may not have flourish awesomely if not for the energetic, young, and talented teammates that played with him.
Austria international Marcel Sabitzer formed a great partnership with him, scoring 45 goals and 20 assists together. The playmaker has always been an integral member of the German side, if Sabitzer plays well then you should expect the whole RB Leipzig team to follow suit because he makes the team tick in the middle of the park.
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- Sergio Aguero & Raheem Sterling – (Manchester City, 44 Goals, 7 Assists)
A lot might have been said about the lack of finishing skill of Sterling, but since he moved to the Etihad to team up with Pep Guardiola, his game has improved drastically, and his finishing skill came with a lot of goals for the Blue side of Manchester.
Sterling didn’t just play well, he has also formed an effective understanding with Aguero in the City team.
Without a doubt, Aguero’s brilliance has largely led the line at City since he moved in from Atletico Madrid. Fantastic players have come and gone in an attempt to partner the Argentine, unfortunately, it hasn’t really worked out well. However, in the case of Sterling, he has been able to form an astonishing strike partnership with Aguero.
The City all-time goalscorer has continued to prove that he can’t easily relinquish his striking role to any other forward as long as he is fit.
He’s been able to form a goal-getting partnership with Sterling which got them 44 goals and 7 assists combined.
- Kylian Mbappe & Mauro Icardi – (Paris Saint Germain, 40 Goals, 12 Assists)
Mbappe’s prolific partnership with Icardi at Paris Saint Germain has no doubt been in semblance with the kind of partnership Mbappe and Falcao formed back at Monaco. Despite Icardi joining the Parisian on loan before he was later signed permanently, his understanding with the World Cup winner has looked more like they’ve been playing together for long.
The 20-year-old remarkable goalscoring record has seen him been compared to a lot of great players such as Ronaldo, Ronaldo De Lima because of his speed, eyes for a goal anytime he’s on the pitch.
And as it stands, if the duo of Mbappe and Icardi’s prolific partnership continues then we might see them wreak havoc on teams in Ligue 1 and in Europe.
Icardi made the high profile loan move from Inter, and he has since been improving and impressed the Parisian fans under Thomas Tuchel.
But on the other hand, it’s left to be seen if we would see the same kind of partnership from both players this season, especially with the form Moise Kean is currently in.
- Robert Lewandowski & Serge Gnabry – (Bayern Munich, 68 Goals, 21 Assists)
The duo of Lewandowski and Gnabry didn’t just win the UEFA Champions League together, they also form an amazing strike partnership, a combined 24 goals to beat the record previously set by Ronaldo and Bale in 2013-14 most prolific pairing in a single Champions League season.
In the end, they ended up combining 68 goals in the Champions League and league altogether.
To see Gnabry shone out impeccable performances for the Bavarian giant, despite his torrid stint with Arsenal and perhaps West Bromwich Albion in England still surprises many football enthusiasts, however with his form at Bayern Munich Gnabry is definitely no doubt a fantastic lad full of talent.
With the kind of prolific partnership they formed last season, Bayern Munich fans would be expecting such an electrifying strike partnership again this season. Already the Polish goal-poacher is painting the Bundesliga with goal colors, but it left to be seen if Gnabry would give the fans something close to that of last season’s mouthwatering performances.
