Gennaro Gattuso vs Juventus: The greatest performance by a defensive midfielder?

In the 2021 Champions League final, N’Golo Kante played like a man possessed.

The Chelsea hero recovered the ball an absurd number of times against Manchester City, while his driving runs from deep were also crucial to the Blues’ historic triumph in Porto.

After the game, many pondered whether Kante’s display against Pep Guardiola’s side was the greatest ever by a defensive midfielder in a big game.

It’s certainly up there, but there’s one performance from a 21st century Champions League final that may be superior to the Frenchman’s superb showing.

The display we’re talking about is Gennaro Gattuso’s in the 2003 final for AC Milan versus Italian rivals Juventus, a match the former won on penalties after a fiercely contested 0-0 draw.

That night at Old Trafford, the man aptly nicknamed ‘Braveheart’ during his time in Scotland with Rangers was outrageously good.

Gattuso absolutely bossed the midfield during the 120 minutes of normal and extra time, thwarting the likes of Edgar Davids, Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet.

The Italian terrier recovered the ball for fun and regularly drove forward from deep to kickstart attacks, showcasing some very impressive dribbling and passing skills in the process.

Check out Gattuso’s highlights from his 2003 Champions League final masterclass here…

Casemiro v Juventus? Kante vs Man City??Nah watch the