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The defence is the bedrock upon which any champion side is built. The defence can mean the difference between all three points or a sordid draw, the group in the team that may bring that one extra point out of the game when the creative forces couldn’t conjure up much for the side. The defence may define a season, winning you silverware or keeping a side safe from relegation.
Taking stock of the defensive performances in the month of September, here are your nominees for defender of the month.
Dejan Lovren (CB – Southampton)
The Saints have improved themselves each year on by means of some shrewd pieces of business in the transfer market and a prime example has been Dejan Lovren. The Croatian’s presence at the heart of the Southampton defence seems to have added a new gear to the Hampshire side. The Croat has seemed every bit as worth the £8.5m Southampton shelled out for him in the summer.
The Saints sit comfortably at sixth in the Premier League table and a large part of their success story has been because of their steady defence. In six games, the Saints have conceded just 2 goals all season and none in all competitions on the month of September.
Their impressive run includes a shutout at Anfield against a Liverpool side that had looked rampant in the early running, having won their first four games of the campaign. With Lovren scoring the winner that secured only the 4th ever victory for Southampton in 37 games at Anfield, it serves as icing on the cake for the impressive Lovren.
David Alaba (LB – Bayern Munich)
Four years on from making his debut as the youngest ever player to play for Bayern Munich at the tender age of 17, David Alaba is proving to be a gem. It’s hard to point anyone out singularly from the mean machine that is the Bayern back four. The defense was the main stay of Bayern in a season in which they won all there was to win. The Bavarians had conceded a mere 31 goals in 54 games in all competition last season and they don’t seem to be in the mood to let the mean streak go.
David Alaba in the space of the last two seasons has made the left back position his own both at Bayern as well as for his country, Austria. In the month of September, no one was able to pierce the Bayern defense in the three Bundesliga and one Champions League game they were involved in while Bayer punched in 10 goals past their opponents in those games.
Alaba is the typical modern day full-back, full of energy and pace. With Ribery alongside him, the Bayern left side suddenly seems to be as venomous as the king cobra. Alaba not only did his due at the back, but also pushed forward and provided 3 assists and bagged one himself.
Mehdi Benatia (CB – Roma)
Roma seems to have come up trumps in the deal that saw their former mainstay Marquinhos leave for PSG for a fee of €32 million. Not only did they get a whopping amount for the Brazilian but they seem to have more than adequately made up for his loss with their latest signing Mehdi Benatia.
In six games, the Moroccan has certainly stamped his authority at the capital. He leads a backline that has only conceded once in seven competitive games so far this season. This has helped Roma to skyrocket up the table in Serie A, which they currently lead after six game weeks with an astonishing goal difference of +16.
Benatia has not only been the rock at the back, but also has come up trumps when it comes to going forward. A couple of goals to his name do him no harm in his inclusion in the list. If you have missed his goal against Sampdoria, then you have missed one of the best goals you are to see from a defender this whole season.
Benatia cut through the Sampdoria defense like a knife through butter with the help of his nifty dribbling skills and then stroked the ball past the hapless Goalkeeper while he was down on the ground after having lost his balance at the vital moment. Don’t believe it? You better see it then.
Hugo Campagnaro (CB- Inter)
Inter are off to a flier this time around in the Serie A. They seem to be back to where they belong after their horror show of a season last time around and that has been made largely possible due to their water tight defense headed by a certain Hugo Campagnaro.
The 33-year-old former Napoli defender has led Inter to a promising start to this year’s campaign which has seen the Nerrazzuri collect 14 points from a possible 18 so far. The Argentine’s presence seems to have added a touch of steel to a defense that conceded 57 goals in the last Serie A campaign. This time around Inter have only let in 4 in 630 minutes of competitive football which goes a long way to bring some much needed stability to a club which has been on a roller coaster of sorts for the last few years.
He has also drawn praise from legendary Inter defender Beppe Bergomi; “The Argentine has given security to everyone. He understands how to play in a Walter Mazzarri defence. He’s a perfect element for this team.” remarked 1982 World Cup winner.
Simon Kjaer (CB – Lille)
The Danish international leads a hoard of fresh talents at Lille that the club aims to develop for success in the long run. With the likes of Monaco and PSG spending ludicrous amounts on players, the big boys of yester year looks to tap into untapped potential to propel them on.
Lille may not be the same force it was three years ago in French football, but they are certainly holding their own at the top end of the table. Les Dogues (The Mastiffs), occupy fourth place in the Ligue 1 table owing to a sturdy defence that has only let in 4 goals in seven games this season. For the month of September though, their record is even more impeccable.
None have been able penetrate through the Lille backline and leading the charge from the back in the talented Dane, Simon Kjaer. At 24 years of age, the Dane certainly has a lot to give and the signing seems to be a real coup for the French team in the long run. With the World Cup round the corner, the Dane’s short term goals should also raise Lille to greater heights this season.
Diego Godin (CB -Atletico Madrid)
“Atletico make use of very compact defensive lines and are fast on the counter,” Porto’s coach Fonseca said ahead of this midweek’s Champions League clash between the two.
“The scenario I predict is that there will be very little space. Atletico Madrid’s defensive solidity and swift counter attacks give them the attributes of a classic ‘Italian side’.”
By means of logic, its fairly easy to understand, that to add the latter attribute, you have to posses the former and that’s where the likes of Diego Godin comes in. That was before knowing Godin would be instrumental in Atletico’s comeback, scoring a goal himself to bring the Spaniards back in to the tie.
If you haven’t heard of it yet, Atletico Madrid seems to have finally arrived on the scene. They have matched Barcelona every step of the way so far, winning each of their first seven La Liga games. Among the wins, it included an outstanding display of team football where they tactically played Real off the field.
Every successful team needs a platform, a springboard which forms the spine of the team, enabling the men upfront to concentrate on their work. With Diego Godin running the rules at the heart of Atletico’s backline, that’s what Godin and co. at the back does for Atletico. His accomplishments certainly haven’t gone unnoticed with the likes of Manchester City and Dortmund among others constantly being linked with the highly rated Uruguayan.
