Queens of Possession in Europe: FC Barcelona Dominates UEFA Women’s Champions League Stats

The FC Barcelona women’s team not only dominates on the field but also in the statistics of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, both collectively as a team and individually in attack and defense. They excel in possession, a key element of the Blaugrana style of play.

With 62.2%, Jonatan Giráldez’s team boasts the highest possession in the top European competition, nearly eight points more than Lyon and Chelsea, who are tied at 54.6%. Barcelona also leads in passing accuracy, with an impressive 87.3%. Lyon (82.1%), Bayern (82%), Chelsea, and PSG (81.3% each) follow closely behind. Barcelona has attempted 7,088 passes, completing 6,213, compared to Chelsea’s 5,167 attempts and 4,238 completions.

On an individual level, Barcelona players shine in completed passes, with five players in the UEFA’s top six: Ingrid Engen (758), Keira Walsh (666), Patri Guijarro (650), Jess Carter (535, Chelsea), Aitana Bonmatí (506), and Mariona Caldentey (494).

Special mention goes to Norwegian player Ingrid Engen, who achieves these numbers playing as a central defender, a position not her natural one. She also leads in ball recoveries (77), tied with Luik of Hacken. Engen is having her best season at Barcelona, now in her third year with the club.

Additional insights reveal more noteworthy details: Salma Paralluelo and Caroline Graham Hansen lead in shots on target (sixteen each), alongside Katoto of PSG. Paralluelo is the third-highest scorer in the competition with six goals, behind Diani (Lyon, 8) and Katoto (7). Aitana and Graham both follow closely with five goals each.

Furthermore, Keira Walsh ranks second in distance covered (43.6 km), a surprising fact considering her reputation for vision, passing, and interceptions rather than sheer physicality. She trails behind Horan (45.4 km, Lyon) and leads ahead of Cuthbert (42.9 km, Chelsea) and Aitana (42.1 km).