Getty Christensen lines up for Barcelona.
Barcelona signed Andreas Christensen on a free transfer in the summer transfer window and without much fanfare, but the Denmark international has gone to be a huge hit at the Camp Nou.
Christensen has now linked up with the Denmark national team for the start of Euro 2024 qualifying and has come in for huge praise from manager Kasper Hjulmand who thinks he’s one of the best defenders in the world, as reported by AS.
“Andreas is among the best in that position, if he isn’t the best. If I were in a club and had to choose a centre-back, I would choose him. And now he’s come to a team where you really appreciate the way he plays that position,” he said. “You feel good when you see how Christensen reads the game in a defensive situation and gets the ball moving, instead of punting it far or wide. He fixes things and they appreciate that on the field. He gets credit for the way he interprets the center back position. In other places it might be a wild tackle or headed clearance, but he knows how to do those things too.”
Christensen has become a regular at Barcelona, making 25 appearances this season, and establishing himself as Xavi’s first choice center-back alongside Ronald Araujo. His emergence has also meant €55 million man Jules Kounde has had to play at right-back.
Xavi has always backed the defender. He has described the Dane as “extraordinary” and hit out at those critics who questioned the club’s decision to bring the center-back to the club.
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Christensen ‘Growing’ at Barcelona
The good news for Barcelona is that Hjulmand feels that Christensen is only going to get better as he adapts to life with the Catalan giants and begins to feel more settled at his new club and in a new league.
“Andreas is feeling more and more comfortable, and it shows. He is growing, also as a person. I can say that he is in a very good moment, both as a player and as a person,” he added. “He performs at a very, very high level, and the crazy thing is, I think there’s more to it. He can still further develop his game, also with our team.”
Christensen signed a deal at Barcelona that runs until 2026 when he joined from Chelsea back in July and already seems to have been a very astute purchase by the Catalan giants.
Barcelona’s Defense Leading The Way
Barcelona’s defense is statistically the tightest in Europe’s top five leagues by far in 2022-23. Xavi’s side have only conceded 9 goals in 26 games, setting a new record in the Spanish top flight, as shown by Opta.
8 – @FCBarcelona 🔵🔴 have just conceded 8 goals after 25 games in @LaLigaEn this season, setting a new record in the competition at this stage after Atlético de Madrid in 1990/91 and Deportivo de La Coruña in 1993/94 (10 both). Locked.
Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has also set a new landmark this season, per Opta. The Germany international is the first goalkeeper to keep 19 clean sheets in the first 25 games of a single season in the history of LaLiga.
Barcelona are renowned throughout the football world for their attractive brand of attacking, possession-based style of play, but there’s no doubt this season that Christensen and Co. deserve plenty of credit for propelling Xavi’s side to the brink of the title.
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