The best strike partnerships ever

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1. Marco van Basten & Ruud Gullit (Milan & Netherlands)

And coming at number one, we have a strike partnership who led the line with distinction for club and country: Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit, unquestionably two of the greatest forwards of all time (of course, Gullit could turn in world-class performances in pretty much any position you asked him to play).

In 1988, captain Gullit broke the deadlock as the Netherlands beat the Soviet Union to claim their first major trophy at the Euros – with Van Basten sealing victory through a physics-defying volley that has gone down as one of the greatest goals ever scored.

A year later, the Ballon d’Or-winning pair (Gullit picked up the award in 1987, Van Basten each of the next two years) each struck twice as Milan thumped Steaua Bucharest 4-0 in one of the most dominant European Cup final performances ever seen.

It was a double act which deserved to go on well into the 90s – and it might well have done had Van Basten not been forced to retire so prematurely due to injury.