Top 5 Short Passing Teams in La Liga
Tiki-taka has taken the world by storm. Teams like Swansea, Arsenal and Liverpool try desperately to replicate the possession-based approach made famous in recent years by Barcelona—with moderate success.
Despite numerous imitations, nothing comes close to the real thing.
La Liga owns many of the world's most technical players, and short passing still reigns supreme. By owning the ball, teams are forced to rely on skill rather than physicality to break down the opposition. Many teams are good, but the following five are great.
Ranked by most short passes per game, the following five clubs can claim to be the best short passing teams in La Liga. All statistics are taken from Who Scored, and are current through six rounds of league play.
5. Valencia
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Valencia are off to another decent start, with three wins from six. However, their short passing game has been on point—averaging 387 per game.
Los Che owe a big thank you to Ricardo Costa for that number. The Portuguese defender boasts a pass completion percentage of 92.6, which is good enough for seventh best in the entire league.
Valencia have hung around just behind the top two for many years now, and that position looks to be safe. They have talent and a solid strategy, and a narrow home loss to Barcelona indicated the team could compete. A place in the top four will likely satisfy the fans, as will such consistent displays of passing.
4. Real Sociedad
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Real Sociedad might be sitting in the middle of the table, but they can proudly claim the No. 4 spot on this list. With 387 short passes per game, Sociedad know how to keep the ball moving.
A disappointing start to their Champions League campaign suggests they might be missing Asier Illarramendi more than they thought, but the club still has the players to compete.
Perhaps this rough patch is just a bump in the road. The team also ranks sixth in La Liga in possession with an average of 51.9 percent. This stat is more impressive considering they only managed 29 percent against Barcelona in midweek.
With exciting talent like Carlos Vela up front, Sociedad will hope to right the ship sooner rather than later. Their crisp passing and possession style should yield results in due time.
3. Rayo Vallecano
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With a remarkable 449 short passes per game, Rayo Vallecano slide into the No. 3 slot of our countdown. The Madrid sideshow are proving that they can play beautiful football, even against the world's elite.
The club faced Barcelona last weekend, and despite a humbling 4-0 defeat, the away side actually held more possession in the game with 54 percent of the ball. The trailing side mustered up 14 shots, nine of them finding the target. It was a crushing defeat, but the style and courage shown by the Vallecanos was encouraging.
Incredibly, the club also makes 75 long passes per game—third most in La Liga.
2. Real Madrid
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What a difference a year makes. Jose Mourinho's enveloping ego has been lifted, and Real Madrid can finally heal. The addition of new signings and a fresh manager eager to shift tactics have made Madrid a dangerous team on the ball.
With 473 short passes per game, Los Blancos are the second best in La Liga.
The team can point to three players making significant passing contributions throughout the pitch. At the back, Sergio Ramos leads the team with 64.6 passes per game. His steady presence in the back line keeps the ball moving.
In the middle, Luka Modric is able to dictate play. Despite a slow start to life at the Bernabeu, Modric has grown immensely in his holding role, dishing out 58.3 passes per game. His performances in the absence of Xabi Alonso have been impressive.
New boy Isco takes the passing play in the final third. His 57.7 passes per game are good enough for 17th in the division. The playmaker may be just 21 years of age, but his creativity has been sensational. The Spaniard has been able to slice his way through opposition with ease, adding four goals along the way.
Madrid's passing-based approach has recorded decent results thus far, but the club must be weary of dropping more points against weaker opponents.
1. Barcelona
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Even with Lionel Messi's league leading 5.8 dribbles per game, Barcelona still find time to pass the ball. With an astounding 590 short passes per game, it is clear who the kings of technical football are.
The Catalans have recorded the highest possession rate in the league—66.4 percent—and it's easy to see why. With superstars like Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets in the middle, the ball rarely finds the other team.
Xavi, famed for his efficient passing abilities, is averaging 89.8 passes per game by himself. That is 30 more than Luka Modric. The midfielder's pass completion rate of 93.1 is nothing to scoff at, either.
Barcelona sit top of the table with maximum points. The best passing team the world has ever seen might be this batch of players. With an acute understanding of the game and constant movement off the ball, Barcelona have mastered possession-based football. It's tough to bet against them.
Among its long list of accolades, Camp Nou can also claim the most prolific short passing team in the country.
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