Solid at the back

Football is not just about scoring goals, it's about stopping them too, and under Xavi Hernández Barça have avoided letting that happen in 48 out of 94 league fixtures. In fact, Ter Stegen and the men around him have set a record that no team in Europe's big five leagues can match. 

In the 2022/23 season, the team set a number of defensive records, and the German goalkeeper kept clean sheets in an extraordinary 26 league games. This season, things didn't get off to quite such an impressive start. But all that has changed. Dramatically.

Ter Stegen on the record path again

The emergence of Pau Cubarsí and a new role for Andreas Christensen have been huge factors in Barça recuperating the defensive solidity of last season after questions had been asked of them this term. The defence is a key reason why Ter Stegen is currently on a massive run of 493 minutes without letting in any goals, but with saves like the ones he made away to Atlético Madrid, he too has played a very big part indeed in that impressive run. 

The goalie doesn't qualify for the Zamora award yet because he hasn't played the required number of matches of 28. But his 2023/24 stats suggest that he is a very strong candidate after only conceding 17 goals in 20 appearances, an average of 0.85 per game that would be enough to beat the current official leader, Unai Simón, who has received 26 goals in 29 games for an average of 0.90 a game. Ter Stegen needs to play all eight of Barça's remaining games to qualify for the honour, and providing he does and also manages to maintain his form until now, then the Zamora could well be heading his way again. 

51.06% clean sheets under Xavi

Barça started this league season a far cry from their defensive solidity of the previous campaign, but things are back in order now, especially following the current run of five consecutive clean sheets. Since Xavi took over as manager, Barça have kept 48 clean sheets in 94 league games, meaning that in 51.06% of games, the team has not let in a single goal. In the same period and in Europe's big five league, no team can beat that, Inter coming closest with 44 clean sheets in 94 games, followed by Juventus and Real Madrid, who both have 41. 

There's absolutely no question about it. Barça have recovered their defensive strength, and have done so in majestic style.