Belgium National Football Team Formation

Starting Lineup

Courtois (Mignolet/M.Sels) · Kompany (Vermaelen/Denayer) · Van Buyten (Meunier/Castagne) · Vertonghen (Alderweireld/Debast) · Witsel (Nainngolan/A.Onana) · Tielemans (Carrasco/Dendocker) · M.Dembele (Chadli/Fellaini) · E.Hazard (Mirallas/Doku) · Mertens (Trossard/Januzaj) · De Bruyne (T.Hazard/Batshuayi) · Lukaku (Benteke/Origi)

The Red Devils focus on controlling the middle of the pitch and winning it back high up the pitch to start attacks. This Belgium formation is a 4-5-1 that seeks to dominate possession and play through the lines. The team is built to use a high press to force long balls and win the second ball to maintain control.

Courtois stands in goal to command his area and help play out from the back. The back four consists of Vertonghen at left back, Kompany at left centre back, Witsel at right centre back, and Van Buyten at right back. Kompany and Witsel work to hold the line while Witsel often steps into midfield to help carry the ball forward. Kompany uses his aerial strength to defend crosses and secure the area. Vertonghen and Van Buyten provide width and can overlap the winger to send crosses into the box.

A five man midfield allows the team to squeeze the space in the center. Tielemans and M.Dembele act as a double pivot to shield the defense and intercept passes. De Bruyne plays in the center and uses his passing range to find teammates in space. E.Hazard and Mertens operate as two tens in the half spaces to connect the lines. These players work to press in a mid-block and trigger a press when the opponent enters the middle third to win it back high up the pitch.

Lukaku acts as a lone striker and a target man to hold up the ball. He is used to pin the last defender and create space for the others. The attack relies on the midfielders to play through the lines and find him. When the team breaks quickly, the players look to get to the byline and cut it back for teammates or hit in behind on the transition to catch the defense off guard.

The main strength of this lineup is the numerical superiority in midfield. By having five players central, Belgium can compress the midfield and deny the pivot. Another advantage is the ability to press high in coordinated waves to win it back high up the pitch. This forces the opposition to play long and allows the defense to stay compact while the team attacks with speed of transition.

This 4-5-1 formation is built for teams that want to dominate the ball and press from the front. It is best suited for games against opponents that struggle to play through a crowded midfield or rely on slow build up play.