Goals get the fans off their feet, of course they do, but as every top coach in Europe will testify, you can’t win a league without a rock-solid defence and, these days, one that can play a bit too.
So here at SBOTOP, we’ve decided to take a look at the best rearguards in the continent, and the three we’ve picked have conceded a paltry 41 goals from 68 games between them.
The Premier League is a goal-happy football competition this season, and no team has conceded fewer than 20 goals, with Arsenal doing the best with 22. As you would expect, the Italian top flight, famed for its tactical excellence and defensive strength, has the tightest back four of all, and that’s where we’ll start.
Inter Milan: 12 conceded from 23 games
The Scudetto looks like it’s heading back to Milan this year and it’s the Nerazzurri who will be celebrating in May unless Simone Inzaghi’s team implodes…and that seems highly unlikely. Inter have recently pulled seven points clear of Juventus with a game in hand and the Football 2024 betting odds are pointing firmly towards the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium.
The Inter defence has conceded just 12 goals, and two of those were in a 4-2 win over Roma last week. That result was preceded by 1-0 victories over Fiorentina and Juventus, and those nine points have all but wrecked the Old Lady’s challenge.
With the experienced Yann Sommer in goal, Inter have one of the most dependable stoppers in world football, and he is one of the reasons Switzerland have been such a hard team to beat over the past decade.
Inzaghi likes to play with three centre-backs: the hugely experienced Francesco Acerbi, Azzurri star Alessandro Bastoni, and either Matteo Darmian or Stefan de Vrij. With Federico Dimarco and Benjamin Pavard operating at wingback, this is a well-established back line that can shut the door and support the front five.
Second-placed Juventus have an impressive defence too, conceding 15 goals in 24 games, but Nerazzurri are top dogs in more ways than one.
Real Madrid: 15 from 24
Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid are marching towards a 36th La Liga title and summer signing Jude Bellingham has dominated the headlines with his scoring exploits and string of man-of-the-match performances. Bellingham and Los Blancos other creative players can attack with the comfort of knowing that they have a rock solid defence behind them.
Goalkeeper Andriy Lunin has been a revelation since he won the battle for the keeper’s gloves over Kepa. Lunin made nine saves in Real Madrid’s Champions League victory away to Red Bull Leipzig this week and his authority in the penalty area lets his back four know what they are doing.
Antonio Rudiger and Nacho operate at the centre of defence with wingbacks Dani Carvajal on the right, and Ferland Mendy on the left happy to raid down the flanks in support of their attackers.
And Ancelotti has top quality understudies, with Francisco Garcia and utility man David Alaba playing their part alongside Kepa.
Bayer Leverkusen : 14 from 21
My third pick is Bayer Leverkusen, whose incredible set of Football 2024 results have taken them five points clear at the top of the German top flight.
I have to give an honourable mention to Nice, who, across the border in France, are up in second place in Ligue 1 and have, like Die Werkself, conceded 14 goals from 21. But Nice have, incredibly, only scored 22 goals, so I suspect they have an 11-man defence!
So Leverkusen gets my vote, and when you look at Xabi Alonso’s line-up, you can see just why they are riding high. His defence is superbly well organised with strong characters and huge talent, and with the excellent Lucas Hradecky as the last line of defence.
The 34-year-old Fin captains the team and commands his area while centre-back Jonathan Tah, at 6ft 5in, is a colossus and he’s also an excellent ball player, his 96 per cent pass accuracy is the best in the Bundesliga. Alongside him, Josip Stanisic, on loan from Bayern Munich has proved to be a shrewd acquisition.
The 23-year-old Croatia international is a versatile player who gives the back line fluidity, while Edmond Tapsoba also challenges for a centre-back berth.
This is a defence which works hard and has the ambition to support the Werkself attack. Right wingback Jeremy Frimpong has more sprints than anyone in the Bundesliga, while left wingback Alejandro Grimaldo has covered a whopping 244 km this season, the third-highest distance in the league, with defensive midfielder Granit Xhaka in second with 250km.
So there you have it, folks. The best defences in Europe are in Milan, Madrid, and Leverkusen, and that is where the silverware appears to be heading too.
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