Football Greatest Defensive Teams
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There's a saying in sports: defense wins championships. In the world of football, that saying continues to ring true.
Throughout the course of the 2024/25 season, Inter Milan has successfully defended their way to the UEFA Champions League final. The Nerazzurri conceded just once throughout their opening eight games in the league phase, winning six of them. In the round of 16, they only lost once across two legs against Feyenoord, before their campaign uncharacteristically burst into life in the latter stages.
Thrilling victories against Bayern Munich and Barcelona propelled them to the final for the second time in three seasons… but Inter's story isn't an isolated one. Over the years, plenty of teams have mastered the defensive side of the game, and they have reaped the rewards. Here are the best examples of them.
Atletico Madrid
In modern times, Atletico Madrid has become somewhat of a power. They will head to the FIFA Club World Cup in a few weeks, and online gambling sites make them a contender to go all the way. The latest odds from the popular Bovada gambling site currently price them as an 11/1 shot to leave MetLife Stadium on July 13th with the title, but 12 years ago, things were very different.
Back then, Los Rojiblancos had finished in the top four just once in their previous four campaigns. However, the appointment of Diego Simeone ushered in a new era. Within his first six months in charge, he led the capital city side to Europa League glory, before beating cross-city rivals Real in the following year's Copa Del Rey. But it was their exploits in 2013/14 that took Spanish football by storm.
Just as they are today, Real Madrid and Barcelona were the two dominant forces in Spanish football, with squads far stronger and budgets much bigger than the rest of the league. With Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi at the peaks of their powers for Los Blancos and the Blaugrana, respectively, Simeone knew his side couldn't compete in a pure out-and-out attacking slugfest. As such, he turned to the things that his sides had in abundance: Work rate, heart, and a never-say-die attitude.
The spine of El Cholo's team was a rock-solid one. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, central defenders Diego Godin and Miranda, central midfielders Koke and Gabi, and striker Diego Costa made up perhaps the strongest spine in the entire league. Add to that the creativity of midfielders Raul Garcia and Arda Turan, coupled with the poaching instinct of veteran striker David Villa, and Atleti were primed and ready for success. Throughout their La Liga campaign, Los Rojiblancos conceded just 26 goals all season, the lowest in the league by some distance. That, as well as 40 goals combined from Costa and Villa, was enough to propel Atleti to a first Spanish title in 18 years, and they weren't finished there.
Simeone's men conceded just six goals in 12 UEFA Champions League games, defensive heroics that led them all the way to the final for the first time ever. There, they met cross-city rivals Real in the final, marking the first time in history two teams from the same city had played in the biggest game in European club football. It looked as though Atletico would grind out another 1-0 victory, however, Sergio Ramos' 93rd-minute header forced extra time, and the 30-minute period was too much for Los Rojiblancos to handle after a grueling season, resulting in them ultimately losing 4-1.
Liverpool
Much like Atletico Madrid, Liverpool was hardly the force they are today back in the mid- 2000s. In fact, the Reds were probably at the lowest point in their history, having not won a Premier League title in over 15 years. Former Valencia manager Rafael Benitez headed to Anfield in a bid to bring back the glory days, and while the Spaniard was unable to bring domestic success to Merseyside, his exploits on the continental stage were staggering.
The Spanish tactician managed to lead the Reds to two UEFA Champions League finals in his first three seasons with the club, despite the fact that his side was far weaker than most of the teams they came up against, especially in the latter stages. In the 2004/05 season, Liverpool still had the likes of Djimi Traore in their squad, but that wouldn't stop them from delivering one defensive masterclass after another on the road to Istanbul.
Liverpool conceded just three goals in their six group games, but still required a last- gasp thunderbolt from Steven Gerrard to qualify for the knockout round. From then on, they conceded just three more goals en route to a date with AC Milan in the final, defeating Italian champions Juventus and English champions Chelsea along the way. In the final, their defensive solidity failed them, and they trailed the Rossoneri by three goals to nil at half time. However, an unbelievable second-half comeback saw them score three goals in five minutes before winning on penalties in one of the greatest Champions League moments of all time.
Two years later, the Reds found their way to the final again, and once more, it was their defense that was pivotal. This time around, they conceded five goals in the group stage, but only conceded three in the knockout rounds, defeating Chelsea in the semifinals once again to secure their spot in the Athens final. Again, they would meet AC Milan, but this time around, the Rossoneri would have their redemption, winning 2-1 thanks to a brace from veteran poacher Filippo Inzaghi.