14.10.2007 09:55
Strength in defence
David Puig
In the 9 competitive matches that Barça have played so far this season, they have only conceded 4 goals, giving them one of the best defensive records in European club football.
One of the keys to Barça’s excellent run of results at the beginning of the 2007-08 season
has been a solid defence. While Barça are top scorers in the Spanish league with 16 goals, it is no
less significant that they have only conceded 4 goals in 9 matches, counting both the league and
the Champions League. Barça are one of only five teams not to have conceded a single goal in the
Champions League, along with Arsenal, Manchester United, Marseille and Shakhtar.
Among the best in Europe
If we look at the top two teams in each of the major leagues,
we can see that only Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich, and Manchester United, second in the Premier
League, have a better defensive record. The English champions have conceded 2 goals in 11 matches,
9 in the league and 2 in the Champions League while Bayern has conceded 3. Barça has a better
defensive record than teams such as Inter, Juventus, Arsenal and Real Madrid, which when combined
with a lethal attack, goes a long way to explaining Barça’s excellent start in both
competitions.
Fair play
However, Barça’s defensive excellence has not come at the expense of fair play. In the
league, Rijkaard’s players have committed 98 fouls, an average of 14 per match, a figure
bettered by only four teams - Osasuna (97), Getafe (97), Zaragoza (96) and Sevilla (90), though the
latter two have played a game less. In terms of cards, Barça are second with 12, behind Deportivo
with 8.
Fewer cards for the defenders
Interestingly enough, the Barça defenders come off even better than the rest of their team-mates in
terms of fouls committed. Of the 98 fouls committed in the league, less than half (41) are down to
the defenders. As for cards, 5 have been shown to defenders and 7 to midfielders or forwards.