Monaco Football Formation
Starting Lineup
Subasic (Nubel/Benaglio) · Evra (B.Mendy/Kurzawa) · Carvalho (Glik/Diallo) · Squillaci (R.Marquez/Abidal) · Fabinho (Bakayoko/Henrichs) · Tchouameni (Tielemans/Y.Toure) · Moutinho (Guily/Fabregas) · Mbappe (B.Yedder/Embolo) · B.Silva (Lemar/Carrasco) · J.Rodriguez (Adebayor/Minamino) · Falcao (Martial/Berbatov)Monaco relies on a defensive and counter attacking identity. They utilize a 5-4-1 formation. This lineup is built to play a style that focuses on absorbing pressure and hitting the opposition on the break.
Subasic stands in goal to command the area. The back line operates in a narrow defensive block to protect the middle. Evra acts as an attacking wing back on the left to provide width, while Carvalho plays as a right wing back. Squillaci acts as the central defender and is dominant in the air to win the header. Fabinho and Tchouameni operate as the side centre backs to win the ball and cover the space behind the wing backs. This unit defends zonally to stay compact and keep the lines tight.
Moutinho plays as a single pivot to shield the defence and recycle possession. He uses his passing range to find teammates and move the ball through the thirds. B.Silva and J.Rodriguez occupy the central zones to connect the defensive and attacking lines. Mbappe plays in the midfield line but uses his high speed and dribbling to carry the ball forward. The group works to squeeze the space and win the second ball to start attacks.
Falcao leads the line as a lone striker and target man. He uses his aerial strength to win the header and his clinical finishing to score. He works to hold up the ball and lay it off to teammates. Mbappe makes runs in behind to exploit the space left by the opposition. The team attacks in transition, using quick passes to find Mbappe or Falcao to break the line and create chances.
A major advantage for Monaco is their compactness when defending. The team is very hard to break down because they squeeze the space between the defensive and midfield lines. They also possess great speed of transition. By using the pace of Mbappe, they can move from a low block to an attacking situation in seconds. This ability to hit in behind on the transition creates many opportunities to isolate the opposition.
This 5-4-1 formation is designed for defensive stability and quick strikes. It is best suited for matches against teams that play with a high line and heavy possession.