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#3 Sergino Dest
Sergino Dest joined Barcelona from Ajax last season and has been their first-choice right-back. The American can often blow hot and cold, especially in defense, but he has racked up solid numbers this season.
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Although Dest has missed the last few games due to injury, he has recorded 20 successful tackles for Barcelona this season. He has recovered possession of the ball 15 times and has also made 11 challenges in the defensive third of the pitch.
While tackling dribblers, the American has a success rate of 64.7%. Dest has also made 15 blocks.
It’s clear that Barcelona have suffered in his absence on the right flank in recent matches, but Sergino Dest also has the potential to get even better. The arrival of club legends Xavi and Dani Alves may help him scale those peaks.
#2 Ronald Araujo
Although he doesn’t get the media attention and credentials, Ronald Araujo has quickly established himself as one of the most important players in the team. Signed for Barcelona B and later promoted to the first team, the Uruguayan is a physical monster and getting past him is quite difficult.
Tall, strong, fast and with great positioning sense, Araujo snuffs out chances with ease and is easily the best centre-back at Barcelona right now. The wonderful sense of knowing when to position himself means that Araujo doesn’t have to commit to a lot of tackles. But when the need arises, he knows how to get the job done.
The 22-year-old has tackled 10 players across all competitions this season, recovering possession of the ball on six occasions. Nine of those tackles have come in the defensive third of the pitch. Dribblers who have tried to get past him have failed on most occasions and Araujo has a wonderful 75% accuracy this season.
The Uruguayan is one of the most secure aspects of the Barcelona backline and has a bright future ahead of him.
#1 Sergio Busquets
Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets is a man of many talents. Not only is he crucial to the way the team builds out from the back and finds passes in the final third, but Sergio Busquets is also heavily involved in the defensive aspects of the game.
Nobody has attempted and won more tackles in the Barcelona squad than Busquets this season. He has tackled 38 players and has recovered possession of the ball 26 times. But unlike most players mentioned in the list, Busquets has been more active in the midfield third and 21 of his tackles have arrived in that zone of the pitch.
Busquets also has the highest number of tackles against dribblers in the team – 19. He has a decent success rate of 55.9%. The Barcelona captain also leads the charts when it comes to blocks and interceptions and is an efficient ball-winner.
