FC Barcelona are having a memorable season domestically, as they have not only won the Supercopa de Espana, but have also advanced to the Semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, and are leading the league table comfortably. Despite the midfield and the attack having made its share of contributions for this state of affairs for the club, it’s the defense that should take the most credit.
The 2-0 victory over Cadiz in La Liga by FC Barcelona was their 17th clean sheet, that too in 22 matches. In these 22 matches, the club has only conceded 7 goals, which makes them a contender for having the best defense in the history of La Liga till match day 22.
The previous record was also held by a FC Barcelona (1986-87) team, which was shared with Deportivo de la Coruña (1993/94) and Atlético Madrid (2017/18) teams. The record for these teams was conceding only 9 goals in the first 1980 minutes of league football, which has now been bested by FC Barcelona’s concession of only 7 goals.
The record for conceding the least number of goals in an entire league season is currently held by Atletico de Madrid (2015/16) and Deportivo de la Coruña (1993/94) with 18 goals scored against them. Thus, FC Barcelona will have to ensure that they do not let in more than 10 goals in the 16 games that are left in the league.
This figure seems reachable, keeping in consideration the current defensive form of the club. Currently, the Blaugrana team is conceding a goal every 282 minutes, and as there are only 1440 minutes left in the league, the team will be able to break the record even if they conceded a goal every 144 minutes. Thus, the team is on road to have a historic league season under Xavi, if their current form continues.
