Best defence in Europe

Barça have hit some tremendous form. They are eight points clear at top of the league, unbeaten in 15 games across all competitions, have won the Spanish Super Cup and are through to the Copa del Rey semi-finals. And a lot of that comes down the brilliance at the back. We are already more than half way through the league season and the team has only leaked seven goals.

Solid at the back

0.35 goals a game is the best defensive record in all five of Europe's highest ranked leagues. The nearest any other team can come to that is Newcastle United. The Tyneside club has conceded 12 goals (0.57 a game) in the Premier League.

Barça can boast five fewer goals against than that. In La Liga, the next best teams, Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid, have let in ten goals more than the Catalans (17 goals each, 0.85 a game).

Just one at Spotify Camp Nou

Teams don't score if you don't give them chances to shoot, and that's where Barça have been excelling of late. There have only been four shots on target against them in their last three league games (one by Sevilla, one by Betis and two by Girona. And that is a knock-on effect of dominating possession. Barça have the third highest possession rate in Europe's top five leagues (65.04%), topped only by Bayern Munich (65.59%) and Manchester City (65.38%).

And the record is even more spectacular at Spotify Camp Nou where only one team has managed to score a league goals this season. That was the penalty converted by Joselu of Espanyol in the derby on New Year's Eve.

Ter Stegen important

The German goalkeeper has had a big say in these extraordinary stats. If he keeps this up, the Zamora Trophy is certain to be his. His 0.35 goals a game is currently well ahead of second placed Pedrag Rajkovic of Mallorca, who has conceded 0.9 goals a game.

Ter Stegen doesn't have to make as many saves as most, but when called upon, he delivers. Of the 38 shots he has faced this season, he has saved 84.09%, a fabulous rate compared to fellow stoppers around the continent.