The best defence in LaLiga history?
Xavi's Barcelona are set to surpass the record of Atlético Madrid in 2015/16 and Deportivo La Coruña in 1993/94
Following Monday night’s 0-0 draw with Girona, Barcelona are currently on track to concede only 12.2 goals this season. With nine conceded in 28 games, the law of averages would suggest 3.2 more goals over the remaining 10 matches, giving a total of 12.2.
That is some 5.8 goals fewer than the existing record for the best defensive record in LaLiga, which belongs to Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid team which conceded only 18 in a season in which they competed against the famous MSN and BBC tridents and eventually lost out on LaLiga, and Deportivo La Coruña’s backline from 1993/94.
The only team to have conceded fewer was Real Madrid in 1931/32, when they conceded only 15 goals but that came over an 18-match season, as opposed to the 38-match campaigns which Atleti, Dépor and today’s Barça face.
That raises a question: is this Barcelona defensive set-up really the best defence in LaLiga history?
On paper, you’d think the answer would be that it’s nowhere near. At right-back, there has been no settled choice but the most frequent selection has been Jules Koundé, who has looked nowhere near as good on the right as he did in the middle for Sevilla in recent years.
At left-back, Jordi Alba and Alejandro Baldé have done battle for a starting berth, but again, Alba looks past it and Baldé looks raw. You’re again left wondering quite how Barcelona have managed to keep such a strong defensive record with these players.
In the middle, Ronald Araújo is one of few who can dignify being in contention for such a title. Andreas Christensen has been solid, but also injury prone and unreliable, while he is hardly a world class talent either. Marcos Alonso has filled in, very much looking like a left-back forced into the middle, and Eric García has had such a poor season that even the believers have begun to doubt him. That’s not including the veteran who opted to retire mid-season to go and play with YouTubers and Twitch streamers instead.
Yet equally, that is just why this team does deserve comparisons to Atlético Madrid’s 2016 defence. Juanfran was a failed Real Madrid winger turned into an Atleti full-back. Filipe Luis was fresh back from a disastrous spell with Chelsea. Josema Giménez was an unreliable youngster and Diego Godín was starting to show signs of his age as he approached his 30th birthday.
Equally, Dépor’s team had similar issues. Luis María López Rekarte at right-back had been discarded by Johan Cruyff at Barcelona as past his best. In the middle, Voro (yes, Valencia’s Voro) had been forced out of Mestalla. Nando was also considered not good enough by Los Che, and Miroslav Đukić had swapped Yugoslavia for Segunda only two years previously.
And therein lies part of the magic of this Barcelona team. Great defences are not built upon great players alone. Just ask the 2006/07 Real Madrid squad which included Míchel Salgado, Fabio Cannavaro, Sergio Ramos and Roberto Carlos and conceded 40 goals.
The secret behind the success of all three defences has been to play solid, unified, team football in a cohesive system. That is even more evident at home, where Barcelona have conceded only two goals in 14 games. It’s a defensive record which is simply unheard of.
Another factor is in goal. In Marc-André Ter Stegen, Barcelona have one of the most reliable goalkeepers in LaLiga history, who ranks ninth in Europe’s top five leagues with 6.25 prevented goals this season. Not bad for a man who ranks among the lowest for shots faced per 90. Much could be said to echo similarities to Atleti’s Jan Oblak in 2015/16 and Paco Liaño at Dépor in 1993/94.
But, the real challenge for Barça to compete. In other competitions, Barcelona’s defence has been woeful. Manchester United scored two at Camp Nou with ease in the Europa League. Real Madrid put four past them in the Copa del Rey. Bayern Munich and Inter Milan scored three each at Camp Nou, while Viktoria Plzeň scored three over two games in the Champions League group stages. That’s a far cry from the Atleti defence of 2016 which made the Champions League final, knocking out Luis Enrique’s Barcelona and Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich based upon their defensive solidity.
And it also leads us on to context. Atleti’s side in 2015/16 were up against BBC and MSN at their peak. Dépor in 1993/94 took on Barcelona’s Romário and Hristo Stoichkov and Sevilla’s Davor Šuker. In 2022/23, Karim Benzema is finding form only now and beyond him and Barcelona’s own ranks, the next best attacker in LaLiga is Getafe’s Enes Ünal. There isn’t much comparison.
The Catalans have won the lottery this season, but there is every reason to believe that their defensive record is not sustainable. They are currently overperforming compared to their xG against by 14.48, given nine goals conceded and 23.48 xG against. For context, the next lowest in Europe’s top five leagues is Manchester City at 25.25 xG against, but 27 goals conceded. Roma are only narrowly behind on 26.17 xG against and 26 goals conceded.
Yes, Barcelona’s defensive record is worthy of applause. Yes, Xavi has brought together a squad of mediocre defenders to make an incredibly talented team. And at the same time, it is benefitting from luck. Their xG this season remains the lowest of any team in Europe’s top five leagues, but their record is an anomaly beyond that.
Xavi has achieved a miracle. And it may be one he could struggle to repeat next season, and given his forward’s form drying up, it may be giving him sleepless nights already.