5 best defences in Top 5 European Leagues midway through the 2016/17 season
An attack wins you games, but a great defence will win you leagues. At the halfway point of the 2016/17 season, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus and OGC Nice top the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 respectively.
The 2016/17 season has already thrown up a couple of surprises in the Bundesliga and Ligue 1, and the defensive stats across Europe carry that trend, with all of the top 5 conceding less than 15 goals so far.
Here are the 5 best defences across Europe currently
*Stats accurate up to January 3rd, 2017
#5 Tottenham Hotspur – Premier League – GCPG = 0.73
Tottenham lie 5th in the Premier League table and are also the 5th best defence in Europe at the moment. With just 14 goals conceded in 19 games so far, Tottenham are the 2nd best defence in the Premier League, with a record of 11 wins, 6 draws and 2 losses earning them 39 points so far.
Strangely, Mauricio Pochettino’s side have been rather unsuccessful in their tackling this season, with only 255 out of 625 tackles coming off – a success rate of 41%. Despite a reputation for being a high-pressing side, interceptions only account for 22.2% of their overall defensive actions, relying on clearances for most of the time.
Jan Vertonghen is Tottenham’s best defender in public opinion and the stats bear it out, as the Belgian averages a staggering 9.5 clearances every game with Toby Alderweireld second with 6.1. Danny Rose leads with way with the number of tackles every game (3.3).
The Lilywhites have been impressive in defence, with 7 clean sheets so far, and if they continue at the same rate, can look to end the season with just 28 goals conceded.