Barça’s Defensive Woes: A Troubling Start to the New Year
It hasn’t been the best start to the year for Barça. Elimination from the Copa del Rey, trailing the league leader by 10 points, and Xavi Hernández’s announcement to step down at the end of the season. The three goals conceded against Granada at Montjuïc once again highlight the team’s current low level, especially defensively.
Since January 4th, Barça has conceded: 1 goal against Las Palmas, 2 against Barbastro, 4 in the Supercopa final against Real Madrid, 1 against Unionistas, 2 against Betis, 4 against Athletic Club, 5 against Villarreal, 1 against Alavés, and 3 against Granada. All the goals have come from inside the box.
The 5 goals scored by Marcelino’s Villarreal at Lluís Companys Stadium were the last straw that led Xavi to announce his departure in June. However, Barcelona had already faced harsh defeats, conceding 4 goals and winning while conceding against Second and Third Division RFEF teams.
The defensive vulnerability of Barça was already evident in the early part of the season. Celta, Mallorca, Granada, and Almería had each scored 2 goals against them. Adding to that, 3 from Antwerp and 4 from Girona. Neither the individual performances of the defenders nor Xavi’s collective plans have lived up to the standards, and nothing has been able to stop the defensive woes, not even Ter Stegen’s return.
Uncompetitive Stats A team aiming to compete on all fronts cannot have defensive statistics resembling those of the weakest teams. Among the top five European leagues, only Frosinone (14th in Serie A) comes close, conceding 22 goals in 7 matches. In England, the bottom-placed Sheffield United is the leakiest in the Premier League, conceding 16 in 6 matches.
In Spain, Atlético Madrid is the second team to have conceded the most goals this year. With the same number of matches played as Barça, Atlético has conceded 16 goals, including 8 from Real Madrid in league, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa, and 4 from Girona. Sevilla follows closely with 15 goals conceded.
