Burnley Football Formation

Starting Lineup

TRAFFORD 90% (Hladky/Green) · ROBERTS 90% (Sambo) · WORRALL 80% (Ekdal/CJER) · ESTEVE 90% (Beyer/Delcroix) · PIRES 80% (Humphreys) · CULLEN 90% (Massengo) · BROWNHILL 80% (Laurent) · HANNIBAL 60% (Flemming/Ramsey) · KOLEOSHO 70% (Benson/Agyei/Redmond) · SARMIENTO 50% (Anthony/Tresor) · FOSTER 80% (Hountondji/Rodriguez)

Burnley look to win the ball high up the pitch and play through the thirds using a 2-5-3 formation. This lineup is built to press from the front and use verticality to catch opponents out of position. The team wants to dominate the middle of the pitch and create overloads in the final third.

James Trafford plays between the posts as the goalkeeper. Ahead of him, Esteve and Worrall form a narrow back two that must step up to maintain a high line. These two central defenders need to be dominant in the air and quick to cover any runs in behind. Because there are only two defenders, they must hold a compact shape and be ready to intercept any long balls sent toward the opposition striker.

The midfield consists of a five man unit that controls the center. Cullen sits as the single pivot to shield the defense and recycle possession. On either side, Roberts and Pires operate as the central midfielders to win the second ball and carry the ball forward. Hannibal and Brownhill act as the two tens in the half-spaces, looking to press aggressively to win the ball high and find passes between the lines. This midfield block connects the defense to the attack by providing many options to play short from the back.

In the attacking third, Burnley use three forwards to stretch the defense. Foster acts as the pressing centre-forward to pin the last defender and fight for long balls. Sarmiento and Koleosho stay wide as wingers, with Koleosho looking to cut inside and Sarmiento looking to whip it in from the flank. This attacking trio works to create combinations in tight spaces, often looking for runs in behind or a third man run to break the line of the opposition defense.

A major advantage for Burnley is the numerical superiority in midfield, which allows them to dominate the center of the pitch. The ability to press in high waves makes it very difficult for opponents to build from the back. Additionally, the wide positioning of Sarmiento and Koleosho can isolate wide players in one on one situations when they receive the ball.

This 2-5-3 formation focuses on high pressing and controlling the middle of the park. It is a setup best suited for games where Burnley want to force the opponent into mistakes and play with high intensity.