Italian football has historically produced some of the best defenders the game has ever seen. While attacking football is a bit more prevalent in Italy these days, there are still some outstanding defensive players in the league. We’ve taken a look at a few of the best Serie A defenders this season with an eye on the stats behind each player’s claim.
Three of the best Serie A defenders – What do the stats say?
Bremer, Juventus
Juventus are currently in the midst of a tricky run of form and while the glory days of years gone by may still seem a long way off, the excellent defensive work of Bremer has helped ensure they remain near the top of the league ahead of this weekend’s matches in Serie A.
The 26 year old has started 27 of his team’s 28 matches in Serie A and has been easily one of Juve’s most consistent performers. The powerful Brazilian gives his team a real physical presence at the back and it’s no surprise that his average 4.0 clearances per game is better than any of his teammates have managed.
He also averages 0.7 blocks per game which is again a club high while only two Juventus players can better his average of 1.7 tackles per game. Bremer blends physicality and strong defensive attributes with a competent ability in possession. He averages 54.1 passes per game which is the third most of any Juve player in Serie A this term while his pass completion stats are also high at 86.7%.
Juventus aren’t at their best right now as a collective unit and have gone seven matches without a clean sheet. They do have a favourable fixture this weekend though when they host bottom half Genoa and they’ll be hoping another solid display from Bremer can help them end the wait for a clean sheet.
Alessio Romagnoli, Lazio
The modern day central defender is required to be as good on the ball as they are at doing defensive tasks and Lazio’s Alessio Romagnoli is one man who is certainly comfortable with the ball at his feet.
The 29 year old has an outstanding 91.4% pass completion ratio in Serie A this term while he averages 91.2% in the Champions League. No other Lazio player to have completed more than 1000 minutes of league action can better those figures while he ranks in the top five defenders in Serie A for his passing accuracy.
Romagnoli is also competent in the air, winning 2.5 aerial challenges per game on average, which is better than any of his Lazio teammates have managed in Serie A this term.
He’s expected to start as Lazio head to Frosinone this weekend in the league. With their opponents having picked up just two points from seven league games and currently languishing in the relegation zone, Maurizio Sarri’s side will be targeting a solid performance and will be hopeful of getting a clean sheet, although Frosinone do carry a greater goal threat than some of the other struggling sides.
Theo Hernandez, AC Milan
In terms of attack-minded full backs who can influence the game at both ends of the pitch, they don’t come much better than AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez who is having another strong campaign from left back.
He has chipped in with four goals and three assists in Serie A and some of his attacking numbers are more in line with what you might ordinarily expect from a winger. The French international averages 1.4 key passes per game which is second only to Rafael Leao from a Milan player in the league this term while he has also assisted goals in both the Champions League and Europa League in the 2023/24 season.
Hernandez has also drawn more fouls than any other Milan player aside from Leao with 1.6 per game on average in Serie A. He also averages an impressive 57.2 passes per match in Serie A which shows just how eager Milan are to get him on the ball and use him as an attacking weapon.
Defensively, Hernandez’s stats are not quite as impressive but he’ll be hopeful of a quiet afternoon on Sunday. Milan are away to Verona who are one of the least potent attacking teams in the league with an average of just 0.89 goals per game so the visitors look capable of keeping a clean sheet.
