Besiktas Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Wojciech Szczęsny (Emre Bilgin) · Nicola Zalewski (Eren Elmalı) · Emirhan Topçu (Josip Šutalo) · Mario Hermoso (Yan Bisseck) · Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Milot Rashica) · Weston McKennie (Pablo Maia) · Emirhan İlkhan (João Màrio) · Thiago Almada (Can Uzun) · Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (Semih Kılıçsoy) · İrfan Can Kahveci (Facundo Torres) · Mustafa Hekimoğlu (Ciro Immobile)

Besiktas aims to stay defensively solid and hit opponents on the break using a 5-4-1 formation. This lineup relies on a compact block to deny space between the lines and waits for the right moment to transition. The team wants to stay organized and difficult to break down, using the width of the pitch only when they win the ball back.

Mustafa Hekimoğlu stays between the posts to manage the defensive unit. The back line functions as a back five that can shift to cover the width of the pitch. Thiago Almada, Emirhan İlkhan, and Weston McKennie form the central trio, with McKennie and Almada acting as ball playing defenders who can help move the ball forward. The wing backs, İrfan Can Kahveci and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, are expected to provide the width. They must track back to help the central defenders and then push high to support the attack when the ball is won.

The midfield operates in a flat four to squeeze the space in the middle of the pitch. Mario Hermoso and Emirhan Topçu sit in the center to shield the defense and win the second ball. Hermoso acts as a playmaker from deep to link the back five with the rest of the team. Nicola Zalewski and Aaron Wan-Bissaka occupy the wide areas, where they must press aggressively to win the ball high up the pitch. They are tasked with helping the defense when out of possession and finding ways to move the ball into the final third.

Wojciech Szczęsny leads the line as a lone striker. The attacking plan involves using the striker to hold up the ball and wait for the midfield to join the play. When Besiktas wins the ball, the wing backs, İrfan Can Kahveci and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, will sprint forward to create overloads on the flanks. This movement creates chances to deliver crosses into the box or play through the lines. The team works to isolate the opposition defenders in one on one situations by using the pace of the wide players.

This formation offers several tactical advantages for Besiktas. The back five provides great compactness when defending in a low block, making it hard for the opposition to find gaps. The team can also use the speed of transition to catch opponents out when they commit too many players forward. By using the wing backs, the team can quickly switch play to find space on the other side of the pitch.

This 5-4-1 formation is built to be a hard unit to break down through heavy defensive work. It is best suited for games against dominant teams where Besiktas needs to sit deep and counter at pace.