Analyzing Barcelona's Defensive Struggles and Goal-Scoring Efficiency in LaLiga

Celestial

posted on 10 months ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Barcelona's defensive performance in LaLiga has been less than stellar, with the team surpassing last season's total goals conceded in just 18 matches. This article delves into their defensive record, comparing it to previous league champions and shedding light on the need for improvement.

The Mirror Barcelona Must Look Into If They Want to Win LaLiga

In their recent match against UD Almería, FC Barcelona conceded two goals, surpassing their total goals conceded from the previous season in just 18 league matches.

It is evident that the Catalan team needs to significantly improve their defensive record if they wish to be serious contenders for the LaLiga title. But, has any team ever won the league with similar defensive numbers?

Barcelona's Hopes

Currently, Barcelona has conceded 21 goals in 18 matches, averaging 1.17 goals conceded per game. This means they are conceding between 1 and 2 goals in each match.

However, when comparing Barcelona's defensive numbers to all the league champions of this century, it is clear that they have a higher average of goals conceded.

Interestingly, the last time Barcelona won the league with a higher average of goals conceded was in the 1997/98 season. The top team that season had an average of 1.48 goals conceded per game.

At this same stage of the season, Barcelona in the 97/98 season had conceded 20 goals, just 1 less than their current tally of 21. The significant difference lies in their goal-scoring efficiency, as they were leading the league with 43 points and had scored 7 more goals than in the present season.

Standings after 18 matches:

FC Barcelona 97/98: 1st with 43 points (+20 goals)
FC Barcelona 23/24: 3rd with 38 points (+13 goals)

Scoring Problem?

While it is possible for FC Barcelona to overcome their defensive issues and still win LaLiga in the 23/24 season, they must compensate by improving their offensive performance.

Despite their 3-2 victory against UD Almería, Barcelona currently has the lowest goal-scoring record among the top four teams in the league. The real problem, however, lies in their goal-scoring efficiency. Statistics reveal that Barcelona creates several good goal-scoring opportunities.

The reigning league champions display the biggest discrepancy in Europe between the goals they have scored and the expected goals (xG).

This accuracy problem is highlighted through the xG statistic, which quantifies the probability of a chance ending in a goal. FC Barcelona has an xG of 40.8 goals this season, but they have only managed to score 34.

In essence, Barcelona has scored 6 to 7 goals less than expected based on the quality of their chances. This discrepancy is the highest among the top 5 leagues in Europe, emphasizing Barcelona's lack of accuracy.

A Historical Drought

Adding to their troubles, Barcelona has matched their longest streak in history without winning a match by more than one goal. The last time this occurred was in the 1962-1963 season, and this trend could potentially continue on January 4th against Gran Canaria.