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Sir Alex Ferguson once said, "Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles."
Without a good defence, you can win a match but will never be able to win any trophies. Although defending is not as exhilarating as attacking, it is equally important.
There are a number of strong defensive line-ups in the top European Leagues, to such an extent that the sturdy defence of Manchester United or Villareal does not even make this shortlist.
Here's the list of the 5 best defences in Europe.
#5 Chelsea
Last season Chelsea's defence played a vital role in their Premier League triumph. Antonio Conte made the best use of the strong defenders.
Chelsea's defenders are not only concerned with stopping the opposition from scoring goals but also provide long balls to their forwards. In fact, the Blues' defender Azpilicueta has already provided 4 assists this season.
This season, Chelsea have conceded 5 goals in 6 matches and have averaged 19 tackles per game and 10.3 interceptions per game. The Stamford Bridge outfit are good in the air too with 14 aerial duels won per game and have made an impressive 25.8 clearances per game.
Chelsea have some experienced defenders like Gary Cahill, David Luiz and Azpilicueta along with some pure young talent like Andreas Christensen.
#4 Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs arguably have the best defence in the Premier League and are going to be one of the top contenders for the Premier League title.
Similar to Chelsea this season, they have conceded 5 goals in 6 matches. So far, Spurs have averaged 14.2 tackles per game and 6.5 interceptions per game. Spurs showed great confidence in the air too with 16 aerial duels won per game and have managed to make 22.7 clearances per game.
While the departure of Kyle Walker was seen as something that'll weaken their side, the addition of Serge Aurier has added strength to their defensive setup. Alderweireld and Vertonghen have formed a solid partnership over the years and with the likes of Dier and Wanyama protecting the backline, expect another strong defensive showing from the north Londoners this season.
#3 Bayern Munich
After some great defensive displays last season, Bayern Munich will be hoping to continue their good form this time around. Though Bayern still have to fill the void left by the retirement of club and country legend Philipp Lahm, their defence still remains pretty tough to break.
Bayern Munich have conceded 5 goals this season in Bundesliga averaging 17.8 tackles per game and 13.3 interceptions per game. Their aerial presence could not go unnoticed with 15 aerial duels won per game and also averaged 7.7 clearances per game. With these impressive numbers, any team's attack will be shaky against them.
With the likes of Boateng, Hummels, Alaba and with Manuel Neuer guarding the post, scoring a goal against them will be a strenuous task. Bayern would be hoping to defend their league title and aiming for UEFA championship glory.
#2 Juventus
If it was the last season, Juventus's defence would have been on top of this list but with the departure of Bonucci and Dani Alves, their defence has lost some of its strength. Juventus are yet to prove that they still have the best defence.
However, Juventus still have a strong defence led by Chiellini. The Old Lady has the formidable duo of Barzagli and Chiellini and with Alex Sandro and Lichtsteiner on the flanks, Juventus can keep many forwards quiet. Juventus averaged 13.8 tackles per game and 11.5 interceptions per game this season.
They are good in the air too with 10.3 aerial duels won per match. They averaged 16.3 clearances per match till now this season. I Bianconeri will be hoping to keep up these impressive numbers.
And with Buffon guarding the goal, Juventus still have very less to fear.
#1 Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid arguably has the best defence in the world right now and the statistics prove it. This season, Atletico Madrid have conceded just 4 goals. Atletico's defence is led by Godin while Jan Oblak guards the goal.
This season till now, Atletico has averaged 22 tackles and 12 interceptions per game. The men from Madrid are equally good in the air with 14 aerial duels won per game. They managed to shut down opponent's attack many times with 23.2 clearances per game.
Atletico believes in defending aggressively and it has surely helped them a lot. Their defenders are not scared to lunge into tackles and will do anything to win the ball back. Their defence is feared by many forwards and several of them would not like to come up against them.
