5 tightest defenses in Europe this season

#4 Atletico Madrid - 17 goals conceded (24 matches)

Simeone of Atletico de Madrid

Atletico have been one of the more dominant teams in Europe in recent years, having made it to two Champions League finals, in addition to winning a couple of other trophies including the LaLiga, Copa del Rey and UEFA Super Cup.

Diego Simeone chiefly deserves praise for this transformation, with Los Rojiblancos' incredible performance in winning the 2014 LaLiga title, in addition to going all the way to the UCL final despite operating on a budget much smaller than those of Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Simeone's blueprint was founded upon building a watertight defense which was nearly impossible to penetrate, with Atletico generally gaining a reputation of being one of the most pragmatic teams in Europe.

So far this campaign, Atleti have conceded just 17 goals from 24 matches to keep them in second place and even though it is bound to fall short of the unbelievable 18 they conceded in 2016, it is still enough to keep their reputation as one of the best defenses in the world.