'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The importance of a good defence in football is often understated. Even though goals win games and a team's attackers hog most of the limelight, their efforts would come to nought if the football team's rearguard isn't potent enough to keep out the opposition.
Many successful football teams in the world have had good defences to complement their men up front. Some notable examples in this regard in football are France, Italy and Spain, who conceded just two goals in their respective victorious FIFA World Cup campaigns in 1998, 2006 and 2010. Spain conceded just once en route to winning the 2012 European Championships.
Such examples are in club football as well. Chelsea conceded just 15 goals in their victorious 2004-05 Premier League campaign. Juventus let in 20 goals apiece while winning the 2011-12 and 2015-16 Serie A titles. 10-man Inter Milan put up a defensive masterclass at the home of Barcelona in the 2009-10 Champions League semi-final second leg enroute to winning the competition.
Trending
The adage that defences win titles and championships couldn't have been more true. On that note, let us have a look at five football teams with the best defences at the moment.
#5 Inter Milan
In a league that is renowned for its defensive solidity, perhaps Inter Milan appearing in place of serial winners Juventus may be a surprise.
The Bianconeri may have won a ninth consecutive Scudetto last season, but their defence was incredibly leaky as they let in as many as 43 goals. It was the most they have conceded in a single Serie A season during their near decade-long stranglehold of the competition.
It was the Nerazzurri who impressed with their defence last season. They conceded seven fewer goals than the champions while garnering as many points (82) as they did during their treble-winning campaign in 2009-10 under Jose Mourinho.
Under Antonio Conte, Inter Milan play an aggressive brand of pressing and direct football while keeping things tight at the back. In fact, the Nerazzurri not only outscored Juventus but were impressive more impressive than the Serie A winners at the other end as well.
Last season, goalkeeper Samir Handanovic, who kept 13 clean sheets in 35 games, was ably supported by the centre-back trio of Stefan de Vrij, Milan Skriniar and Atletico-import Diego Godin in Conte's preferred 3-5-2 formation. Sitting midfielder Marcelo Brozovic was also key in this regard, taking pressure off the centre-backs, while providing them a passing option to bring the ball out.
The two Inter wing-backs Kwadwo Asamoah and Danilo d'Ambrosio provide width, while De Vrij is also tasked with producing defence-splitting passes to the dynamic duo of Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez.
With such personnel at the helm and tactical fluidity to go with it, Inter could mount a formidable challenge to Juventus this season and end the Bianconeri's domestic dominance.
#4 Sevilla
Under former Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui, Sevilla won a record-extending sixth Europa League title and finished a creditable fourth-place in the league to return to the Champions League after a two-season absence last term.
One of the most noticeable improvements in the team last season was their defensive solidity in how they played football. Sevilla conceded 34 goals in 2019-20, with only the Madrid duo of Real and Atletico letting in fewer than the Andalusian club.
Key to Sevilla's immediate upturn in their defensive fortune (they conceded 47 in 2018-19) was their central defensive pair of Jules Kounde and Diego Carlos. They were plucked out from Ligue 1 for a combined fee of €40 million at the start of last season, in Lopetegui's preferred 4-3-3 formation. The 21-year-old Kounde, with his ball-distribution prowess, acted as the sweeper to begin attacking moves while Carlos preferred to stay deep.
Ably supported by captain Jesus Navas, who played in an unfamiliar right-back position, Real Madrid loanee Sergio Reguilon on the other flank and 32-year-old defensive midfielder Fernando Reges, Sevilla had a formidable rearguard.
The two Sevilla full-backs were also given the license to venture upfield and aid the men upfront, a brand of football they performed admirably as is evident in their combined tally of 11 assists. The pair also had the pace and tactical discipline to drop back and cut out opposition crosses.
Lopetegui's football team also has tactical fluidity. That was evident in the game against Barcelona when defensive midfielder Reges dropped back to join Kounde and Carlos in a three-man defence, which stifled Barcelona upfront and helped Sevilla earn a creditable draw.
Despite their attacking formation, Sevilla suffered from a paucity of goals upfront. If they manage to improve on that front this season and also add an attacking midfielder to their ranks who could chip in with goals, the Andalusian club could have the wherewithal to challenge the three big boys of Spanish football.
#3 Paris Saint-Germain
Paris St. Germain, under the tutelage of German tactician Thomas Tuchel, have eked out their success by scoring a lot of goals while maintaining their defensive solidity and playing some fine football.
The serial French winners conceded 24 goals in a truncated Ligue 1 season while in the Champions League, PSG were even more frugal at the back. Tuchel's men topped a group containing 13-time champions Real Madrid while conceding just twice in six games.
In the knock-out rounds, PSG conceded three goals in four games to reach their maiden Champions League final. The French champions more than held their own against Bayern Munich, who plundered eight goals past Barcelona in the quarter-finals with some incredible football, eventually going down by a solitary unanswered goal.
Though Tuchel experimented with different formations during the early part of last season, they predominantly played their football in a 4-4-2 in the latter half of the campaign. The two full-backs stretch the PSG defence wide and also commit themselves up front with overlapping runs, but also track back when possession is lost.
Like most successful football teams, PSG can change formations mid-match depending on the match situation and the opposition.
Nevertheless, Tuchel strives to have five men behind the ball to contain opposition counter-attacks and another five to aid upfront, a tactic that makes PSG difficult to score against and was key in winning another Ligue 1 title, and reaching the Champions League final.
#2 Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid have one of the best defences in European football.
Despite a bevvy of expensive summer acquisitions, the Rojiblancos finished 17 points adrift of La Liga winners Real Madrid, but impressively conceded only two goals more than their illustrious cross-town rivals.
Under the experienced Argentine tactician last season, Atletico largely stayed true to the 4-4-2 formation that has taken them to two Champions League finals and a Liga title in the last six years. Though they struggled to score goals up front and the football isn't great at times, their traditional defensive resliience stood Atletico in good stead.
The narrowness of the formation means that Atletico have often had central midfielders deployed on the wings to lend width to the team. One such player is Saul Niguez, who has played in a bevvy of positions in midfield as well as in defence.
Of course, it helps that Atletico have one of the best custodians in world football in Jan Oblak, who played every Liga game last season. Kieran Trippier as right-back and Lodi on the other flank frequently featured. Felipe and Stefan Savic, who admirably filled in for the injury-prone Jose Gimenez, impressed in the centre of defence.
Atletico are one of the finest examples of football teams that do not employ a high press and have personnel who drops back from midfield. Even the forward line to help in maintaining the team's compact defensive shape and suffocate the opposition.
However, like another good defensive La Liga team (Sevilla), Atletico suffered up front, something that was exacerbated after the sale of Antoine Greizmann. If they manage to get a good counter-attacking football player like the Frenchman who could score goals aplenty, the Rojiblancos could put up a formidable challenge in all competitions this season.
#1 Real Madrid
The number one team in this list could perhaps be a surprise to many as Real Madrid have traditionally been known for their fire power and potency in the attacking-third, particularly during the period when a certain Cristiano Ronaldo wore the famed white jersey.
After a football season of struggle following the departure of the club's all-time top-scorer, Real managed a fabulous campaign under their inspirational manager Zinedine Zidane.
The Frenchman was wise enough not to make a futile search for an out-and-out replacement for Ronaldo and instead decided to address the team's oft-ignored defence, which kept a league-low 25 goals last campaign.
In the process, Real Madrid also made an admirable transition from a counterattacking football side to one that plays intellligent possession-based football.
Zidane doesn't have a strictly preferred formation; his football team played in various formations during the course of the season. But one aspect that was seen in whichever way the team lined up was their new-found defensive solidity and resilience.
Belgian custodian Thibaut Courtois finally showed the Madrid faithful what he was capable of after an underwhelming 2018-19 campaign.
Ahead of Courtois, the central defensive pair of captain Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane formed a formidable partnership. They were greatly aided by holding midfielder Casemiro who dropped back to form a three-man defence when the team was not in possession.
Toni Kroos did his usual stuff from a deep-lying midfield role, while left-backs Ferland Mendy and Marcelo, and right-back Dani Carvajal aided the team's attack that was admirably led by Karim Benzema.
Ramos, in particular, had a season to remember as he was also impressive at the other end where he scored 11 Liga goals, a tally that included six penalties.
If Madrid manage to acquire the services of a proven goal-scorer to complement the efforts of Benzema and experienced midfield personnel to take over from the likes of Kroos and Luka Modric, the capital side could continue their success under Zidane this season.
