Who Is Better: Xabi Alonso or Andrea Pirlo?

There’s bound to be an abundance of talking points when Real Madrid square off against Juventus in the UEFA Champions League group stage on Wednesday night.

The biggest, though, is reserved for the battle in central midfield.

In all likelihood, fans won’t receive the footballing masterclass that was seemingly on offer when Madrid were drawn to play Juventus. Xabi Alonso—who is only just returning to full training now—will probably be rested in preference for the El Clasico match Madrid have with Barcelona next week, robbing football fans of the chance to see Alonso paired against greatness in Andrea Pirlo.

That matchup, it seems, will have to wait for another few weeks.

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Yet when Alonso and Pirlo do eventually take the field at the same time this year, what an intriguing matchup it promises to be! Both have proven themselves to be world-class in their respective club roles and for their respective nations, but like the old cliche says, there can only be one winner. On the night—no matter how great the other might be—there will only be one winner between Pirlo and Alonso.

So the question that must be asked is which central midfielder—at this point in time—is better? The two play slightly different roles for their clubs (and we’ll address that below), but in essence, they are both central midfielders. They are both brilliant and talented, but which one is better?

Read on to find out.

The Role of Andrea Pirlo

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Unpacking what Pirlo brings to Juventus (and Italy) is easily a full article in itself, so we’ll be brief here. Pirlo is—in essence—a deep-lying, all-conquering central midfield playmaker. Here’s what Jonathan Wilson wrote about the Italian in his Bleacher Report column:

There are numerous holding midfielders who circulate the ball—the likes of Sergio Busquets and Michael Carrick—but there have been very few who have the range of passing to be a true playmaker from deep.

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Positionally, Pirlo seems to play as a defensive midfielder, but he’s far from a defensive midfielder in what he provides on the field. Exceptional vision and passing are hallmarks of his game; his knowledge of where every player (both teammates and opponents) is on the field is a skill that few other players have in world football and allows him to dominate the middle of the field.

As the years have caught up with him, Pirlo’s position has dropped further and further down the field, but his poise and timing on the ball have not forsaken him.

One needs only to look back on the 2012 European Championships for proof.

The Role of Xabi Alonso

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Perhaps the best natural comparison to Pirlo in terms of providing a complete presence in central midfield is the Real Madrid and former Liverpool man, Alonso.

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Alonso—at Madrid—is part of one of the world’s best defensive midfield double pivots with Sami Khedira. His passing and accuracy are like few others’ in world football, and the manner in which Madrid dominate possession against their opponents means that Alonso is often heavily involved in their attack—regularly chalking up more than 100 completed passes per game.

An expert at transitioning from defense to attack, Alonso is an integral part in Los Blancos’ counterattacking system with his brilliant long-passing ability.

Few players in world football can hit a 60-yard pass like Alonso can.

Biggest Differences Between the Pair

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In order break down the differences between the two here, we will have to speak in generalizations somewhat. When saying that one player is better than another in a certain element, that’s not suggesting that the “lesser” player can’t do whatever that criteria might be. It simply means his comparison (that is, the other player) is even better at a certain aspect than he is.

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Given the extra impetus that Madrid have on the counterattack compared to Juventus, perhaps the biggest difference between the two is their passing length.

Pirlo loves to have the ball at his feet and drive into an attack once his team is settled in its opponent’s half; Alonso differs in that he is more likely to launch an attacking raid from just outside his own penalty box. That’s set up by his tremendous vision (which Pirlo also has), but Alonso is certainly better-suited to creating an attacking chance from literally anywhere on the field than the Italian.

Defensively, you’d also probably suggest that Alonso is stronger than Pirlo.

He certainly does more work defensively than the Italian, though it must be noted that Pirlo has other teammates to do that for him. Arturo Vidal, Paul Pogba and Claudio Marchisio are all very sound defensively and, when paired alongside Pirlo, cover for the Italian’s lack of defensive strength.

Pirlo isn’t in the team for his defensive prowess, where Xabi is in many ways.

Whom Would You Rather Have: Alonso or Pirlo?

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With all of that in mind, the question about who is better still remains.

And so it should.

Neither Pirlo nor Alonso should be separated from the other given their unique set of talents and skills. The question that needs to be asked is what set-up, formation and tactics are being used, and which other players are around. For that question will, ultimately, decide whether Pirlo or Alonso is better-served. Either could surely do the task, but one will be better-suited than the other.

Pirlo is a regista: someone who controls the game from a deep-lying position and looks to drive forward an attack with power and purpose.

Alonso is perhaps the best natural defensive midfielder in the world whose mix of defensive prowess and counterattacking prowess is like few others.

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For me, it all comes down to which player would better fit the system.

If that system is a token 4-2-3-1, then you’d probably lean Alonso’s way given he’s more of the “complete package” in terms of attack and defense. If the system is 4-4-2 or 4-3-3, though, and has other players willing to assist defensively, then you’d prefer Pirlo.

If you have a counterattacking team, you’d want Alonso.

If you have a team flush with creative talent, you’d want Pirlo.

It’s all about the system, not the players.

Both Pirlo and Alonso are greats of the game in their individual system, and trying to take them out of it simply wouldn’t do justice to the remarkable talents that they possess. 

Juventus play Real Madrid in Turin on November 5.

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