In the Zone: Leipzig and Inter build from the back

Following on from a notable opening week of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 for defenders, we take a look at two more teams who benefited from outstanding rearguard action in the latest round of matches.

In our latest FedEx Performance Zone stats dive, we drill down into the displays of the top performers at the back for Leipzig and Inter.

The top points scorers for Leipzig and Inter in the round of 16 first legs

The German side needed to show plenty of resilience to hold firm in their 1-1 draw at home to Manchester City but their highest-scoring defenders made their impact at both ends of the pitch to bolster their points tally, which are multiplied by 1.5 in each game at this stage of the competition.

Joško Gvardiol was the pick of Marco Rose's crop, scoring their equaliser (22.5 points) as well as contributing five recovered balls (7.5 points) and two clearances (three points).

Team-mate Marcel Halstenberg was even more influential in restricting the English champions with six ball recoveries (nine points), three clearances (4.5 points) and one successful tackle (three points), while the 31-year-old also provided the assist (13.5 points) for Gvardiol's goal.

The three Inter players on the list gave their numbers a boost by keeping a clean sheet (13.5 points) in the 1-0 success at home to Porto with Alessandro Bastoni taking his place at the top of Simone Inzaghi's class off the back of eight ball recoveries (12 points).

Both Bastoni and 35-year-old Francesco Acerbi put in a well-timed tackle (3 points) while Milan Škriniar chipped in with an important blocked shot (1.5 points) and made more clearances than his colleagues, those three interventions earning him 4.5 points.

Bastoni and Gvardiol both rose significantly in the overall rankings following their feats, the Nerazzurri man climbing seven places to 34th overall and the Leipzig centre-back up six to 37th – the highest-placed defenders for their respective clubs.