From 'strainer' to steel wall: The metamorphosis of Barça's defence

The FC Barcelona adds 43 goals in the League, a very discreet figure, but only has received seven goals in 21 parties. The defensive performance of the team explains his leadership in the Spanish competition where Ter Stegen has left his intact goal in 16 parties. In other four fit a goal and in the Bernabéu received three. Besides, in the Camp Nou only the Espanyol has been able to mark him a so much to the Barcelona group.

The change in the defence of the team of Xavi Hernández has been so much that recently it attained to break a mark of the entity in goals received after completing a first turn. With alone 7 goals in 19 parties, the culés broke a mark of the season 1986-87, when they fit eight goals with Andoni Zubizarreta in the goal.

All these numbers and performances are far from what had been the Barça of the previous course, one in which Xavi assumed like trainer after 3 months of begun the season. Ronald Koeman was sacked in October and for the beginning of November (2021), the one of Terrassa went back to the club that formed it like player and that carried it to be one of the best mediocampistas of all the history.

However, the reality is that the egarense achieved with a staff come to less and a team that cost him be solid in both areas during the 90 minutes. The project of Xavi began with two goals to zero, in front of the Espanyol and the Benfica, achieving a triumph and a tie respectively. From here in more the defensive phase did not follow answering of the same way.

The culés would receive at least a goal in the following six parties by all the competitions and in these 540 minutes would add 10 goals against, that is to say, almost two by party. By those days the technical body still was far to have an eleven ideal, and even less a defence title. In fact, it alternated between line of four defenders or of three and the names paraded in each meeting.

I hammered, Araújo and Eric García were the names of greater guarantee, but to the Uruguayan many times had to be used like right side. Besides, Jordi Alba was the only left side that saw minutes, with Alejandro Balde that in that moment was not of the confidence of Xavi. Beside Mingueza, Dest, Lenglet or Umtiti, the Barça finished that 2021 and began the 2022 with a defensive rhythm every time worse.

After that goal in zero in the visit to Mallorca, the culés would go back to chain parties fitting. They followed 7 goals in alone four parties, in which they were the ones of Supercopa and Glass in front of the Madrid and the Athletic respectively, both with included extention. It would arrive the Europe League and Xavi would alternate to Hammered and Araújo like mates of Eric García that it was the central that more minutes by that period.

After fitting three goals in 6 parties, in a series that had the triumph in the Classical by 0-4, the Barcelona season finished going to rack and ruin with that defeat 2-3 in the Camp Nou in front of the Eintracht of Frankfurt, added besides to the fall by the minimum in the Estadi in front of the Cádiz alone four days afterwards. The course would close with six so many fit in the last 7 parties, a very move# away figure of which handle right now in the team culé.

Of that alone defence Araújo has kept like an important name, with Alba that lost his place with Balde. Eric has become the last option of head office, Hammered withdrew and footballers like Dest, Mingueza, Lenglet and Umtiti were descartados by Xavi during the pre-season. The club activated the 'crowbars' in summer and arrived Koundé and Christensen, two names that have returned to the club to the highest defensive level, beside a Ter Stegen that recovered his best version.