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Most teams in football are more inclined to dominate possession and control the game rather than sit back and counterattack. Some of the most successful teams in Europe dominate possession to various degrees of success. Possession without a cutting edge is equivalent to no possession at all because the team is not scoring any goals.
This article is about the teams that covered the most distance in possession. These teams had engines across their starting eleven and prolific ball carriers who helped them dominate play. These squads also had an incredible work rate, although for some teams, this did not translate to success. Let's take a look at the top five teams who covered most distance in possession last season.
#5 Olympique de Marseille - 100,840 yards covered
Olympique de Marseille finished second in Ligue 1 last season under the guidance of Jorge Sampaoli. The Argentine manager got the team playing some exciting possession-based football, but they ultimately fell way short of winners Paris Saint Germain. Sampaoli recently left the club, and Marseille are once again searching for a new manager.
Players like Dimitri Payet dazzled the fans with their natural talent, but players like Gerson and Boubacar Kamara were the ones who grafted in midfield. Kamara stood out in the central midfield position, and this earned him a move to Aston Villa earlier in the window. Marseille do have young players like Matteo Guendouzi to call upon, and they will hope the next manager can follow in Sampaoli's footsteps.
#4 Barcelona - 102,221 yards covered
Barcelona started the season poorly but got going heading into the New Year. Xavi Hernandez got the players playing Johan Cruyff's way, and the team finished second in the league behind winners Real Madrid. Barcelona do have the foundations to prosper in the coming season, but they are struggling financially to manage their squad's wage bill.
Barcelona's midfield was run by Frenkie De Jong and Gavi last season, while they had several able dribblers like Ousmane Dembélé and Memphis Depay on the wings. Jordi Alba continues to play well at the top level while players like Sergio Busquets provide the work rate in midfield. Xavi has got the players playing for him, but they will need to add quality this summer to go further.
#3 Real Madrid - 105,731 yards covered
Real Madrid won La Liga and the Champions League last season. In La Liga, they were more possession-based and liked dominating the ball. They scored some brilliant goals and cantered to the league title. Casemiro, Luka Modriç, and Toni Kroos worked hard in midfield with help from Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga.
In the Champions League, Carlo Ancelotti adopted a more pragmatic approach and relied on his defense and forward players to counter and score goals. Players like Rodrygo and Vinicius were willing runners surrounding Karim Benzema. Having added Antonio Rudiger and Aurelien Tchouaméni, they have only improved on their ball-carrying capabilities for the upcoming season.
#2 Paris Saint Germain - 108,572 yards covered
Paris Saint Germain weren't at their best last season, but it was enough to win them Ligue 1. Lionel Messi, along with Kylian Mbappé and Neymar, formed a formidable attack on paper, but it didn't always click on the pitch. All three are talented ball carriers and thrive with the ball at their feet.
Mauricio Pochettino has always made his players work hard. Idrissa Gueye and Leandro Paredes did well in midfield alongside Marco Verratti for PSG last season.
#1 Manchester City - 118,440 yards covered (Most by any team)
It's no surprise that Pep Guardiola's team covered the most distance in possession. Manchester City won their fourth Premier League title under Guardiola.
They have added Erling Haaland and Kalvin Phillips, among others, to the squad for next season. Players like Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne were key in controlling the midfield, while ball carriers like Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva contributed heavily.
The fact that City have added Kalvin Phillips, a player who has been schooled by Marcelo Bielsa and is an engine in the midfield, is a brilliant sign for the Cityzens.
