Barça ran less than ALL their rivals in the 2018/19 Champions League
In every single contest through the competition, Barça collectively ran less than their rivals
It's pretty common for FC Barcelona's rivals to run more than they do over 90 minutes. Barça keep hold of the ball and make their opponents chase around to regain possession. However simply having the ball itself doesn't mean that you are in control of the match. Sometimes the pressure from your rivals can cause mistakes as evidenced by the disaster against Liverpool.
In the first match of this season's Champions League, PSV ran almost 6,000 metres more than Barça (100,718 compared to 106,258). At Wembley, in arguably Barça's best performance of the season, Tottenham ran almost 10,000 metres more than Valverde's team (108,331 to 117,893). Inter accumulated 12,000 more metres over the two matches against Barça.
At the Camp Nou in the return fixture against Spurs, having already secured qualification, they ran 113,938 metres. However that's some way behind the 120,407 by Tottenham. They deserved a draw and went on to eventually make the final.
The differences in the knockout rounds were less obvious. Barça continued to control matches but, with the exception of the first match against Lyon, the number of metres ran was quite similar. The difference between Lyon and Barça in the second leg was 2,000 (103,410 to 105,466), against Manchester United it was 3,000 (103,472 to 106,285 at Old Trafford, 103,657 to 106,531 at the Camp Nou).
Against Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool in the first leg at Camp Nou it was a similar story: 109,717 to 11,132. In the second leg at Anfield, Barça ran 105,543 metres compared to the 112,073 metres ran by Liverpool. Running less in both matches didn't equate to control. Barça would eventually go out to the eventual winners.
The average metres run by Valverde's side in this season's Champions League was 105,856 per match. Porto were the team who ran the most in a single match with 143,016 metres.
Kilometres Barca ran in the 2018/19 Champions League:
Group Stage
- FCB - PSV Eindhoven: 100.718 m. / 106.258 m.
- Tottenham - FCB: 117.893 m. / 108.331 m.
- FCB - Inter Milán: 105.360 m. / 110.896 m.
- Inter Milán - FCB: 116.265 m. / 109.559 m.
- PSV Eindhoven - FCB: 108.061 m. / 102.456 m.
- FCB - Tottenham: 113.938 m. / 120.407 m.
Last 16:
- Olympique Lyon - FCB: 107.233 m. / 102.050 m.
- FCB - Olympique Lyon: 103.410 m. / 105.466 m.
Quarter finals:
- Manchester United - FCB: 106.285 m./ 103.972 m.
- FCB - Manchester United: 103.657 m. / 106.531 m.
Semi finals:
- FCB - Liverpool: 109.717 m. / 111.131 m.
- Liverpool - FCB: 112.073 m. / 105.453 m.
