Dante, Bayern Munich, 582 Successful Passes
Two more team-mates round off our list here, with Dante the first central defender to benefit from Pep Guardiola’s possession-based attack at Bayern Munich—chalking up close to 600 completed passes this season at a completion rate above 90 percent.
What’s most impressive from Dante’s point of view is that over 80 percent of his passes have traveled forwards this season—showing that he’s doing more than simply knocking the ball about sideways and (albeit unintentionally) boosting his numbers.
Giorgio Chiellini, Juventus, 592 Successful Passes
Juventus might not be quite the dominant force in Italy that they were last season, but as we’ll see in this list, their centre-backs are still some of the most technically sound players in the league.
Chiellini is an active part of the Old Lady’s system—completing close to 600 passes in Serie A this year at a strong completion rate of 91 percent. His most recent showing against Catania (where his only two incompletions were attempted long-balls into the box) showed just how prolific the 29-year-old is in terms of possession, close control and passing technique.
Jerome Boateng, Bayern Munich, 602 Successful Passes
But the greatest ball-playing centre back this season is none other than Dante’s team-mate, Jerome Boateng, who has completed a staggering 606 total passes in the Bundesliga despite chalking up the team’s longest average pass length (excluding Manuel Neuer, of course).
His completion rate might not be as high as others (though still an impressive 89 percent), but what stands him out is the attacking threat that he provides from such a deep position—creating five goal-scoring opportunities from centre-back.