SL Benfica Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Trubin (Samu) · Bah (Kaboré) · T. Araújo (António S.) · Otamendi (Bajrami) · Carreras (Beste) · Florentino (Leandro) · Aursnes (Renato) · Kokçu (Rolheiser) · Amdouni (Schjelderup/Akturkoglu) · Di Maria (Prestianni/T. Gouveia) · Pavlidis (Arthur C.)

SL Benfica plays a vertical game built on a 5-2-3 formation. This lineup seeks to win the ball high up the pitch and move quickly toward the opponent goal through direct passing. The team focuses on high intensity and quick transitions to unsettle the opposition.

Trubin stays between the posts to anchor the defense. The back line functions as a back five with T. Araújo, Otamendi, and Florentino occupying the central spots. Otamendi uses his aerial strength to win the header and clear the lines during set pieces. T. Araújo and Florentino cover the space behind the wide players and step up to intercept passes. Bah and Carreras act as attacking wing backs to provide necessary width across the pitch. While Bah pushes high to overlap the winger, Carreras moves into the half-spaces to deliver a cross from the flank.

The midfield operates as a double pivot with Aursnes and Kokçu. These two players control the central area to prevent the opposition from playing through the lines. Aursnes can carry the ball forward to join the attack, while Kokçu helps to recycle possession and connects the defense to the front three. They work to squeeze the space in the middle and trigger a press when the opponent tries to build from the back. This allows the team to win it back high up the pitch.

In the final third, the team uses three attackers. Pavlidis acts as the striker to hold up the ball and pin the last defender. Di Maria plays on the right and uses his passing range to find teammates in dangerous areas or whip it in toward the far post. Amdouni works on the left to cut inside and create chances. The wing backs provide the width, allowing the forwards to move into central positions and arrive late into the box. This creates many runs in behind and allows for quick combinations in tight spaces.

This formation offers several tactical advantages for Benfica. The back five provides compactness when defending in a mid-block. The team can create wide overloads by using Bah and Carreras to double up on the flanks and stretch the defence during the attacking phase. Additionally, the speed of transition allows the team to hit in behind on the transition once the ball is recovered.

This 5-2-3 formation is a potent way to play a direct and aggressive game. It is best suited for facing teams that play with a high line and leave space behind their defenders to exploit.