SL Benfica Football Formation

Starting Lineup

A. Trubin (1) · A. Bah (6) · A. Silva (4) · Morato (5) · J-N. BESTE (37) · T. Araujo (44) · Florentino (61) · F. Aursnes (8) · O. Kokcu (10) · V. PAVLIDIS (14) · Marcos Leonardo (36)

SL Benfica relies on a high press and quick transitions through a 3-5-2 formation. This lineup focuses on winning the ball high up the pitch and using the central area to move the ball forward with speed. The team works to control the tempo by spreading the play wide before looking to exploit gaps in the middle of the opposition defense.

A. Trubin stays between the posts to organize the defensive unit. The back line operates as a back three where T. Araujo acts as the right centre back and Morato holds the left centre back position. A. Silva sits in the middle to guide the line and sweep behind the others when the team pushes up. This defensive group focuses on staying compact and winning the second ball to prevent long balls from reaching the opposition.

The midfield is a five man unit that provides both width and central strength. Florentino sits in a deep role to shield the defense and recycle possession. Beside him, A. Bah and J-N. BESTE operate as the central engine, with J-N. BESTE helping to connect the defensive and attacking lines. F. Aursnes and O. Kokcu act as attacking midfielders who push into the half spaces to create chances. These players are tasked to press aggressively to win the ball high and support the front line.

The attacking structure uses two forwards in a partnership to pin the last defender. V. PAVLIDIS plays as a pressing centre forward to lead the hunt for the ball, while Marcos Leonardo works in tandem to find space in behind. They look to link up with the attacking midfielders to play one twos and create runs in behind the defense. The team builds attacks by using the wide midfielders to stretch the defense before delivering crosses or playing through the lines to the strikers.

SL Benfica gains a major advantage through numerical superiority in midfield, making it hard for opponents to control the center. The use of F. Aursnes and O. Kokcu allows the team to create overloads in the attacking third. This formation also offers great speed of transition once the ball is won in the middle third.

This 3-5-2 formation is built for a team that wants to dominate the center of the pitch through aggressive pressing. It is best suited for matches against opponents who struggle to play out from the back under pressure.