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While the Barcelona defense hasn’t exactly been the club’s strong point over the last few years, they possess quite a few talented tacklers in the team. Many of them are not afraid of committing a last-ditch tackle in order to retrieve possession whether it be in the final third or in their own half.
Although tackling is often regarded as a primary defensive attribute that every defender should know, it isn’t just limited to that. Tackles can be made to recover possession in any area on the football field provided the correct opportunity arises.
This is one of the reasons why some of the best defenders in the world do not need to make tackles. It is often relied on as a last resort and the defender’s positioning is supposed to make sure that the attackers do not get enough space.
We’ll talk about the best tacklers in the Barcelona team this season. Attributes like tackles completed, ball possession recovered with tackles and tackle success rates against dribblers have been used to rank these players.
#5 Gavi
17-year-old Pablo Paez Gavi has taken the world of football by storm following his spectacular rise through the ranks at Barcelona this season. In the absence of Pedri, who has missed a large chunk of the season so far due to injury, Gavi has provided the spark in midfield for Barcelona.
Although Gavi is primarily a creative player who plays high up the pitch, he puts up impressive numbers when it comes to pressing and tackles. In fact, Gavi is one of the most aggressive players at Barcelona and you will often find him leading the pressing even in the final stages of the game.
Gavi has tackled 19 players successfully across all competitions this season. At Barcelona, he’s only behind Sergio Busquets and Sergino Dest but both have more minutes under their belt than Gavi. He has also recovered possession of the ball with a tackle 14 times and has seven successful tackles in the defensive third.
In his first few games, Gavi saw plenty of yellow cards due to his aggression and bad timing but he’s starting to get better at it with time.
#4 Gerard Pique
One of the best central defenders in the last decade, Gerard Pique’s consistency has been a major cause of concern for Barcelona for quite a while now. It’s quite clear that Pique is no longer the reliable defender he once was. Although the likes of Ronald Araujo and Eric Garcia have shown promise, Barcelona also need to reinforce their defense during the transfer window.
With that being said, Pique continues to be a regular starter for the club and exerts a significant amount of influence. He has made six successful tackles this season and has recovered the ball five times with his challenges. Pique has also made four tackles in the defensive third of the pitch.
The centre-back has a high success rate of 66.7% when tackling dribblers. Head coach Xavi will be demanding more consistency and concentration from his former team-mate this season.
#3 Sergino Dest
Sergino Dest joined Barcelona from Ajax last season and has been their first-choice right-back. The American can often blow hot and cold, especially in defense, but he has racked up solid numbers this season.
Although Dest has missed the last few games due to injury, he has recorded 20 successful tackles for Barcelona this season. He has recovered possession of the ball 15 times and has also made 11 challenges in the defensive third of the pitch.
While tackling dribblers, the American has a success rate of 64.7%. Dest has also made 15 blocks.
It’s clear that Barcelona have suffered in his absence on the right flank in recent matches, but Sergino Dest also has the potential to get even better. The arrival of club legends Xavi and Dani Alves may help him scale those peaks.
#2 Ronald Araujo
Although he doesn’t get the media attention and credentials, Ronald Araujo has quickly established himself as one of the most important players in the team. Signed for Barcelona B and later promoted to the first team, the Uruguayan is a physical monster and getting past him is quite difficult.
Tall, strong, fast and with great positioning sense, Araujo snuffs out chances with ease and is easily the best centre-back at Barcelona right now. The wonderful sense of knowing when to position himself means that Araujo doesn’t have to commit to a lot of tackles. But when the need arises, he knows how to get the job done.
The 22-year-old has tackled 10 players across all competitions this season, recovering possession of the ball on six occasions. Nine of those tackles have come in the defensive third of the pitch. Dribblers who have tried to get past him have failed on most occasions and Araujo has a wonderful 75% accuracy this season.
The Uruguayan is one of the most secure aspects of the Barcelona backline and has a bright future ahead of him.
#1 Sergio Busquets
Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets is a man of many talents. Not only is he crucial to the way the team builds out from the back and finds passes in the final third, but Sergio Busquets is also heavily involved in the defensive aspects of the game.
Nobody has attempted and won more tackles in the Barcelona squad than Busquets this season. He has tackled 38 players and has recovered possession of the ball 26 times. But unlike most players mentioned in the list, Busquets has been more active in the midfield third and 21 of his tackles have arrived in that zone of the pitch.
Busquets also has the highest number of tackles against dribblers in the team – 19. He has a decent success rate of 55.9%. The Barcelona captain also leads the charts when it comes to blocks and interceptions and is an efficient ball-winner.
