Rio Ferdinand has now given his two cents on whether Ruben Dias or Antonio Rudiger is the better centre-back.
Dias and Rudiger are some of the very best defenders in the world.
The Real Madrid centre-back proved his class in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final as he kept Erling Haaland quiet, coming on top in the aerial duels between the pair.
However, Ruben Dias also covered himself in glory, making crucial tackles at the back for City on Tuesday night.
Over the past few seasons, the Portuguese defender and the German international have had a case for arguably being the best players in their position.
For instance, last season, the Manchester City centre-half was incredible, especially in the Champions League as he put performances to the level that they should be shown to up-and-coming defenders.
Alongside John Stones, the former Benfica colossus perhaps formed the best centre-back duo in Europe, similar to when such was the case during the 2020/2021 season.
However, in this campaign, the 26-year-old has not been quite as imperious, with Steve Nicol going as far as to claim that he has been “bang average.”
Rio Ferdinand decides who’s better: Ruben Dias or Antonio Rudiger
But then Antonio Rudiger has been exceptional for Real Madrid this season.
After Jude Bellingham, a strong argument can be made that the former Chelsea defender has been Los Blancos’ best player.
Despite Carlo Ancelotti’s side suffering injuries at the back, with Eder Militao and David Alaba having been out for months, the Champions League winner has held the fort at the back.
But perhaps last season, Rudiger struggled to get to grips with life at Real Madrid, unlike Dias, who was impeccable.
As a result, it is challenging to pick which one out of the two defenders is superior.
Much like Rudiger, the Sky Blues’ number three is also quite an aggressive and front-footed centre-back.
Rio Ferdinand told TNT Sports that in his view, Antonio Rudiger has the edge over Ruben Dias.
“[Ruben] Dias is, don’t get me wrong, Dias is top but [Antonio] Rudiger, the experience and the aggression.”
Ruben Dias has hit higher levels for a longer spell
One cannot particularly criticise Rio Ferdinand for picking Antonio Rudiger over Ruben Dias.
At the end of the day, both Dias and Rudiger are top-class and there is not much to split them.
But in our view, the City centre-back has been elite since his arrival to England in 2020, with only one underwhelming season to his name.
Antonio Rudiger, on the other hand, was perhaps only truly world-class in the 2020/2021 season when he won the Champions League with Chelsea and this campaign.
Before Thomas Tuchel’s appointment at Stamford Bridge, the former Roma centre-back was quite error-prone and reckless.
Ruben Dias, on the other hand, has never seemed like a liability for Manchester City while having more longevity as a genuinely elite centre-back.
As a result, Dias should pip Rudiger, in our view.