Decoding Barcelona’s Centre Backs
Finding the right balance for Xavi’s system
In case you missed it, Barcelona have signed a lot of players.
Xavi Hernández has a whole new toy box — and while that’s exciting, finding the balance in his starting XI might be akin to solving a Rubik’s cube. Move any one piece, and you realise several others have to move with it.
This is particularly an issue in the back line. Traditionally, the most stable and unalterable part of the team. “You don’t mess with your centre back partnership”, I hear echoed through the eons of football clichés. And if Xavi is to go along with it, finding the right partnership early is of critical importance.
Today I’d like to play God (or rather, football manager) and work through the options Xavi has at his disposal.
We’ll discuss what is required from a CB in Xavi’s system, take a look at each profile, and knit together a winning combination.
This is a long read, so I’ve split it into chapters. Feel free to pick it up and come back to it.
- What makes a good Barcelona centre-back?
- Ronald Araújo
- Eric García
- Andreas Christensen
- Jules Koundé
- Gerard Piqué
- My first choice back line
Alright, let’s get started.
1. What makes a good Barcelona centre-back?
In possession
On the ball, Xavi’s centre backs have a varied level of responsibility depending on the game phase.
In general build up, when Barca have established possession, the centre backs are integral to ball progression. That’s because they have more time on the ball than anyone else.
Take the example below, against Real Madrid’s mid-block. The centre backs remain narrow, often supported by a full back (Alba), with the defensive midfielder ahead of them.
Madrid are doing what most organised teams will do: 1) man-mark the defensive midfielder and 2) block the passing lanes to the attacking midfielders.
This is a problem that needs solving. The centre backs need to be smart and technical enough to do so. They usually have three options:
- A diagonal pass to the wingers
- A line-breaking pass to the centre forward
- A line-breaking run forward
The more of these options the CB can execute consistently, the more valuable they are on the ball. If they have a supreme passing range, and can also drive forward with the ball, they tick all the boxes.
Later we’ll look at the data to help us choose our ideal candidate.
Under pressure
The second scenario that Barca centre backs face is heavy opposition pressure. However, Xavi’s team has a tendency to be pragmatic in these situations, looking for a way out as early as possible.
This means the centre backs don’t have as much responsibility as you might expect.
Usually, they will either go backwards to goalkeeper Ter Stegen — who then is tasked with a progressive pass — or sideways to the full backs. The centre backs don’t tend to take risks.
At most, the centre back will be asked to play a diagonal pass, often to the full back. Which is why, if we’re ranking offensive attributes, passing range is the most important.
Calmness is also necessary, of course. Plus the ability to identify and execute these passes quickly.
Out of possession
Now, on to actual defending.
To be blunt, Xavi’s system is extremely demanding on its centre backs. Not only are we looking for an excellent technical profile, but defenders who can manoeuvre in high-risk situations. Xavi’s Barca commit players forward very aggressively, often leaving the centre backs with a lot of space to cover. Especially if the opponent goes direct.
In this example, eight players are caught ahead of the ball, and Ronald Araújo is burdened with a huge responsibility.
It’s not infrequent to see Barca centre backs isolated like this. Here, the decision whether to press aggressively, or slow the opponent down, is of utmost importance. Making the right call, and executing it decisively, is a huge part of the job.
So the next thing we’re looking for is a proficiency in 1 vs 1 duels. An imposing, athletic profile, capable of either winning the ball outright or (just as useful), slowing the opponent down until the midfielders get back.
Statistically, we can look at aerial duels won %, tackle %, fouls committed, and how often a player gets dribbled past to help find our man.
But wait, there’s more.
Defending inside the box
On top of this, we’re also looking for the best possible ‘traditional’ centre backs. Those that make important defensive actions inside the box, and nulify the opposition at critical moments.
These players are harder to find using raw data, because their decisions require context to understand. However, we will look at some clips to give us an idea at which defenders excel at this.
What the perfect profile looks like
Ok, let’s summarise what we’re looking for in our ideal centre back. In a rough order of preference:
- An athletic 1 vs 1 defender who can win duels often and cover space
- A supreme passer, with excellent vision and execution
- A quality defender in the box, with high positional intelligence
- A brave ball carrier, capable of breaking opposition lines
With all this in mind, it’s about time to look at our centre back choices, and try to find the right balance and partnership.
2. Ronald Araújo
Age: 23
At 6'1" and built like a heavyweight boxer, the Uruguyan behemoth is a unique and important profile in Barca’s squad.
He is clearly Barca’s most aggressive, physical and fastest defender. He wins the most aerial duels (73.5%), has the highest tackle success rate (76.7%) and gets dribbled past only 0.28 times per 90, less than anyone except Gerard Piqué.
In other words, he’s outstanding 1 vs 1, and a rugged ball winner who’s not afraid to engage far from his own box. He’s also a major threat from set pieces.
Sounds pretty good, right?
He has, however, shown some lapses of judgement when defending his own area. Often as a result of over-exuberance. Whether it’s abandoning his position, or getting too tight and committing a foul, he can — at times — lack the calmness that typifies the world’s best centre backs.
But Araújo’s bigger weakness is his on-the-ball prowess. While his pass completion number are good, he is often slow to identify the right option. He can be guilty of dwelling on the ball until the passing lane is blocked.
On top of that, he makes more mistakes on the ball and is dispossessed more often than any of the current Barca centre backs (Koundé has more errors, but we’ll talk about him later). This is highlighted most when Araújo is put under pressure.
He is, however, quite effective at carrying the ball forward. His speed and strength make him difficult to dispossess, and he’s brave enough to take responsibility.
All-in-all, we’re looking at a brute of a defender who, while not dreadful in possession, still needs to work on that aspect of his game.
Strengths: Barca’s premier ball winner, excellent 1v1, athletic and quick, not afraid to carry the ball forward
Weaknesses: Vision and passing range, uncomfortable under pressure
3. Eric García
Age: 21
I thought it would be fun to put Eric next, because he’s at the other end of the defensive spectrum.
Without a doubt, Eric García is Barca’s best ball-playing centre back. He averages around 95% pass completion, and is by far the most accurate passer over long distances. He’s also the most proactive passer, identifying options and executing immediately. And to complete his passing profile, he’s deadly accurate with both feet.
He’s also very good at carrying the ball through the lines.
But, as I’m sure you know, this all comes at a cost. If Araújo is Barca’s best ball winner, Eric is by far the worst. He wins the least aerial duels (56.1%), is the least effective tackler (a pitiful 37% success rate), and gets beaten more than anyone else (0.75 times per 90).
It’s clear that Eric uses aggression to make up for his lack of physical stature— and it’s not totally in vain. Only Christensen makes more interceptions than Eric (2.29 per 90). But his aggression is a double edged sword; he commits more fouls than anyone else (1.59 per 90).
To give Eric his due, when he doesn’t have to win 1 vs 1 duels, he’s a reasonably stable defender. His anticipation inside the box is usually good, and he’s 100% committed, always. But at the highest level he can and has been bullied.
He’s young, so he has time to develop physically. And his skillset is so specialised that he’s worth keeping around. But you’d be hard-pressed to trust him when it’s do or die.
Strengths: Supreme passer with both feet, identifies passes quickly, carries the ball effectively, a solid box defender
Weaknesses: Loses duels often, commits a lot of fouls, a very inefficient ball winner
4. Andreas Christensen
Age: 26
Christensen is a new addition to the squad who has already shown a lot of promise. He sits between Araújo and Eric on the real defender — ball-player spectrum, and I’d go so far as to call him the most balanced centre back in the squad.
Defensively his numbers are stellar. He made the most tackles + interceptions last season (3.13 per 90), while not getting beaten very often (0.30 times per 90), and also making very few fouls (0.78 per 90).
We can infer, then, that he’s a very efficient ball winner. Even his tackle success rate (66.7%) is only eclipsed by Araújo.
He’s less aggressive than the Uruguayan, but an equally effective defender in most scenarios. He wins less aerial duels (only 61.9%), but he’s better suited to defending his own box due to his calmness and positional awareness.
Christensen’s other advantage is a rounded profile in possession. He too is capable of carrying the ball forward. But more importantly, he has excellent vision and passing range. After Eric, he’s the most consistent passer over long distances.
A balanced profile that is certainly in contention for a starting position.
Strengths: A composed ball winner, commits few fouls, good vision and passing range, a great box defender
Weaknesses: Aerial duels, not as fast or athletic than some of his competition
5. Jules Koundé
Age: 23
Koundé is a very interesting case, and not just because of the fanfare around his signing.
Of all the centre backs in the squad, Koundé is by far the most forward thinking. He is a willing ball carrier, who is often seen marauding into the opponent’s final third.
This offensive movement has been facilitated by Sevilla’s system. The holding midfielder (usually Fernando) drops between the centre backs in possession, creating a pseudo back three. With Koundé on the right, he has license to break forward and become an offensive threat. And he’s not shy about it.
Positionally, this role is quite comparable to how Barca’s inverted full backs operate. It suits Koundé because it makes the most of his ability to break lines, while also remaining an important defensive presence — particularly in transition.
So lets move onto his defensive ability. He is, undoubtedly, an accomplished defender despite his young age. His combination of anticipation, balance, speed and composure is frightening. Not only is he extremely difficult to beat, he reads the game immaculately, making him a superb defender around his own box.
His anticipation borders on prescience; it’s like he’s moving before the ball is played.
In terms of underlying data, he’s most comparable to Christensen. He is dribbled past only 0.33 times per 90 and commits fewer fouls than anyone else (0.72 per 90). His tackle success rate (63%) is middle of the road, as are his aerial duels (64.5% won), but he has an advantage when it comes to speed and athleticism.
You can see why there’s so much excitement around this signing.
Strengths: Excellent 1 vs 1, fast and athletic, great anticipation and composure inside his own box, attacking mentality and high-impact ball carrier
Weaknesses: Lowest pass completion over long distances (73.8%)
6. Gerard Piqué
Age: 35
Ah, Piqué. A club legend who, even up until last season, was Barcelona’s most important defender. At least, that’s what the data suggests.
When Piqué was on the pitch, Barcelona’s xG difference increased by +0.77 per game, compared to when he wasn’t playing. That’s the biggest impact of any defender last season.
Of course, stats like these need context. Piqué profited from being fit during Barca’s most successful spell of the season. Truth be told, his level has dropped, injuries have blighted him, and physically he sometimes struggles to keep up.
That’s why last season he went to ground more often, and committed more fouls than ever before (1.47 per 90).
However, his defensive numbers are still very adequate. Last season he was second only to Araújo in aerial duels (67.4% won). He was dribbled past less often than anyone (0.22 per 90). He also made the most recoveries (11.8 per 90).
However (spoiler alert) he’s not in my first choice back line.
On the evidence of pre-season, his physical condition is deteriorating considerably. If he can’t be counted on for the vast majority of the campaign, it makes little sense to give him minutes over the other options.
His experience will be useful, as will his leadership. But there’s enough quality in the squad now to warrant phasing him out of the team. And at 35, there’s no shame in that.
My first choice back line
Ok, we’ve finally made it. I think this calls for a drum role…
If I were Xavi, my first choice back four would be:
I know, this might come as a surprise. In fact, I’m going against 80% of fans who voted on my Twitter poll. But let me explain.
Christensen — Araújo — Koundé is unbreakable
This is, admittedly, a defence-first selection. By sacrificing a ‘real’ right back I’m taking away an important offensive weapon, right?
Well, not exactly.
As I explained earlier, Barca commit a lot of players forward. At the very least, it’s the front three, plus both attacking midfielders. Sometimes Jordi Alba joins in too. Purely for the sake of balance, I want the remaining players to be defensively imperious. These three — Koundé, Araújo and Christensen — are exactly that.
This decision is made easier by the fact that Xavi’s right back is often inverted. Working in the right half-space, it’s important for the right back to be comfortable on the ball, carry a threat from a deep position, and manage transitions effectively.
Here’s why I think Koundé fits the bill perfectly:
Why Koundé at right back?
Knowing that I want these three in the starting lineup, the question is who’s being ‘sacrificed’ at right back. I’ve gone with Jules Koundé.
The obvious answer is Araújo, but on the evidence I’ve seen, he’s simply not comfortable enough receiving on the touchline or under pressure. Meanwhile, as we’ve seen, Koundé’s role at Sevilla is surprisingly similar to an inverted right back.
For example, he can comfortably receive and progress from the right touchline:
He can drive forward and break lines in the right half-space, which is an incredibly valuable weapon against well-organsied mid blocks:
He can find runners from the right half-space:
He can comfortably snuff out counter-attacks:
And he can defend 1 vs 1 against the world’s best wingers:
It’s unfortunate that, at right back, you might lose his fantastic positional awareness in the box. But for my money it’s a risk worth taking to get both Araújo and Christensen in the starting XI.
Why Christensen at left centre back?
I think Christensen is a fantastic defender. He was a staple in Chelsea’s Champions League winning team, and he’s shown already he can adapt to Barca’s system.
He’s at left centre back specifically for two reasons. 1) I want Araújo on his more comfortable side, because he’s less composed under pressure. 2) Christensen is better equipped to deliver the left-to-right diagonal ball into the right winger.
Barca create a lot of overloads on the left, with the intention of switching the ball over to the right, where Dembélé (or Raphinha) is 1 vs 1. Christensen will execute this more consistently than Araújo.
What about Eric?
I wouldn’t be surprised if Eric García gets decent game time this season. Against teams that provide little attacking threat, perhaps. Equally, I can see him wasting away on the bench.
His performances in pre-season have been excellent. His profile is unique and Barca are certainly more devastating offensively when he’s playing. But at the highest level, the reward isn’t worth the risk.
He has time, though. He’s only 21.
And finally…Piqué?
You might have noticed that Piqué is the only centre back over the age of 26. That’s not ideal. His level might have dropped, but from a squad-dynamics perspective, he’s a useful asset.
I think Piqué will get some game time this year, perhaps to protect a player on a yellow card, or in a rotational situation. But in terms of development, it’s far more important to prioritise every other player on this list.
So there we have it. No doubt plenty of you will have something to say about my selections and reasoning, so I’m continuing the discussion over on Twitter. I hope to see you there.
FINALLY — this is one of the more extensive pieces I’ve put together. If you enjoyed, please do ‘clap’, it helps immensely. And, as always, follow the page for more in-depth Barcelona content.
Until next time!
