Milan Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Aké 6 · Locatelli 5 · Lewandowski 9 · Donnarumma 1 · de Jong 21 · Calabria 2 · Tonali 8 · van Dijk 4 (C) · Salah 11 · Gakpo 7 · Cambiaso 3

Milan aims to dominate possession and press high to win it back quickly. This team plays a 4-3-3. This formation is built to control the tempo of the game and use wide players to stretch the defence.

Donnarumma acts as the shot stopper in goal. The back line is a flat back four that maintains a high line to squeeze the space. Calabria plays as the right back to overlap the winger and provide width. Cambiaso operates as the left back to support the midfield and move into the half spaces. In the center, captain van Dijk 4 (C) is a ball playing defender who uses his aerial strength to win the header. Aké plays alongside him, acting as a covering defender to sweep behind the line.

The midfield consists of a three man midfield with a single pivot. Locatelli sits deep to shield the defence and intercept play. Beside him, de Jong uses his passing range to play through the lines and carry the ball forward. Tonali works as a carrier who presses aggressively to win the ball high and makes late runs into the box. This trio connects the defensive unit to the front three by recycling possession.

A front three forms the attacking line. Lewandowski operates as a lone striker who uses his positioning to find space and his finishing to score. He will hold up the ball to bring others into play. Salah acts as an inverted winger on the right, cutting inside to use his dribbling and pace. Gakpo plays on the left to provide width and can deliver early crosses. They press from the front to force a long ball and look to hit in behind on the transition.

One strength of this Milan lineup is the numerical superiority in the middle of the pitch provided by the three midfielders. The team can also create wide overloads when Calabria and Cambiaso push up to support the attack. This allows the team to win it back high up the pitch and hit in behind on the transition.

This 4-3-3 formation is a high pressing system designed to control the tempo. It works best against teams that struggle to play out from the back.