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Roma Football Formation

Creation DateSeptember 6, 2024

Starting Lineup

99- M. Svilar
15- M. Hummels*
22- M. Hermoso*
23- G. Mancini
4- B. Cristante
7- L. Pellegrini
11- A. Dovbyk*
18- M. Soulé*
10- P. Dybala
59- N. Zulewski
19- Z. Celik

Roma focuses on a vertical style of play using a 3-4-3 formation. This lineup is built to hit teams in transition and use directness to stretch the opposition. By keeping a high volume of players forward, the team looks to create quick passing lanes and exploit spaces left behind the opponent's defense.

M. Svilar guards the goal while the back line works as a compact unit. The three central defenders consist of G. Mancini, M. Hummels, and M. Hermoso. Mancini acts as a right centre-back with his strength in the air and ability to step up into midfield. M. Hummels sits in the middle to sweep behind a high line, using his reading of the game to intercept passes, while M. Hermoso plays as the left centre-back to cover the space. This back three remains narrow when defending to protect the central areas.

In the middle of the pitch, Roma uses a three-man midfield consisting of a central pairing and two wide players. B. Cristante and L. Pellegrini occupy the central roles to connect the defense and attack. Cristante works to shield the defense and win the second ball, whereas Pellegrini looks to carry the ball forward and play through the lines. N. Zulewski and Z. Celik operate as wide midfielders who provide the width for the team. They are tasked to track back and help the defense, but also to push up and overlap the wingers to create overloads.

The attacking front line utilizes three players to pin the last defender. A. Dovbyk acts as the target man, using his physical presence to hold up the ball and fight for headers. P. Dybala operates on the left as an inverted winger who likes to cut inside to find space in the half-spaces. On the right, M. Soulé plays as an inverted winger to threaten the box. These three forwards press from the front to force a long ball from the opposition. The movement of the wingers creates space for the wide midfielders to whip it in or deliver early crosses.

The tactical advantages of this Roma lineup include the ability to create wide overloads when N. Zulewski and M. Soulé push forward together. The team also benefits from numerical superiority in the central zones during transition. Having M. Hummels and G. Mancini in the back three provides significant aerial strength when defending against direct teams.

This 3-4-3 formation is designed to punish teams that play with a high line through quick verticality. It is best suited for games where Roma can win the ball in the middle third and strike at pace.