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There are different ways a team can hurt the opposition. One of the most used approaches involves counter-attacking football, a tactic that has been widely adopted around Europe.
The art of sitting back in your own half and attacking on the break is a concept well-known in the modern era of football. It has been adopted not just by the weaker teams but even the strongest of clubs have tried to use it here and there.
While many consider counter-attacking football to be a negative tactic, it has done wonders for a good number of clubs. Ultimately, it is the result that matters and not every team has the financial strength to sign top players.
Last season, a fine quantity of goals were scored through the counter-attacking style of football. Here, we take a look at the teams who have scored the most number of goals in this fashion.
Note: Europe's top five leagues are considered.
#5 Bayern Munich - 7
Bayern Munich were crowned the Bundesliga champions last season, recording their 32nd league title win. It was a comfortable victory, with the Bavarian club winning by eight points over runners-up Borussia Dortmund.
Attacking has always been one of the strongest features of Bayern's play and the last campaign was no different in this regard. The German giants went on to score 97 goals, the most in the Bundesliga.
The Bavarian club do not normally rely on counter-attacks to score goals yet have managed to score seven goals on the counter. With pacey wingers like Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane combining with goal-scorers like Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski, Bayern were difficult to contain.
#4 Real Madrid - 8
The 2021-22 campaign was a successful one for Real Madrid, having won both the UEFA Champions League and La Liga. With Barcelona struggling in their first season without Lionel Messi, Los Blancos enjoyed a rather comfortable league victory.
Real Madrid, as always, had some deadly attackers on their side. Despite Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale not being as effective as they could be, the Spanish giants looked lethal going forward.
The pair of Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior did wonders for Madrid as they linked up well and were heavily productive in front of goal. As a team, Los Blancos scored 80 goals in La Liga last season, out of which eight came through counter-attacks.
#3 Inter Milan - 8
Inter Milan were unlucky to have lost Serie A to AC Milan by a narrow margin of just two points. It was a close race but ultimately the Rossoneri triumphed against their local rivals.
Having said that, Inter Milan were the most dangerous team in attack in Serie A last season. Inter scored 84 goals in their 38 matches, averaging 2.21 goals per match.
The brilliance of Lautaro Martinez in front of goal, combined with goal contributions from Edin Dzeko, Ivan Perisic and Hakan Calhanoglu ensured a productive spell in attack. Out of Inter's 84 goals, eight came through counter-attacking play.
#2 AC Milan - 9
The Rossoneri would have been delighted to win Serie A after a wait of 11 years. The title race did go on until the last day of the season but eventually it was AC Milan who came out victorious.
It is difficult to pinpoint a single individual for their success as it was a collective effort from the Serie A giants. Milan struck the perfect balance between attack and defense, which meant them ensuring victory by the smallest of margins in many of their matches.
AC Milan scored 69 league goals in the 2021-22 campaign, the fourth-highest goals in Serie A. Despite not having the quickest of players, the Rossoneri scored nine goals on the counter last season.
#1 RB Leipzig - 10
Over the years, RB Leipzig have grown into one of the strongest teams in Germany. With their modern and attacking approach, the club have strengthened themselves year after year and are now challenging at the highest level.
Leipzig, with their high pressing intensity and attacking football, are not an easy team to handle. They possessed a lot of young players in the 2021-22 season and were seen using their quick pace to their best.
With the likes of Christopher Nkunku, Andre Silva, Dominik Szoboszlai, Emil Frosberg and Dani Olmo in the side, they sure didn't lack productivity in front of goal.
RB Leipzig scored 72 goals in 34 Bundesliga matches, out of which 10 came through counter-attacks. Nkunku's blistering pace and quick footwork was one of the key factors in helping the club find success in their attack.
