Alavés Football Formation

Starting Lineup

1. Sivera
14. Tenaglia
5. Abqar
12. Mouriño
22. Diarra
7. CarlosVicente
24. Jordán
8. Blanco
15. CarlosMartín
18. Guridi
17. KikeGarcía

Alavés operates with a focus on defensive solidity and directness, using a 4-4-2 formation. This lineup is built to absorb pressure and strike quickly when opportunities arise in transition. The team aims to maintain a compact block to deny space between the lines, making it difficult for opponents to play through the center.

Sivera stands between the posts to command the area and organize the defensive unit. The back four consists of Tenaglia at right back and Diarra at left back, while Abqar and Mouriño act as the central defensive pairing. Tenaglia and Diarra are tasked to hold their positions to maintain a flat back four, whereas Abqar and Mouriño must focus on winning the second ball and clearing the lines when under pressure. The unit functions by shifting together to cover wide areas and ensuring they do not get split by through balls.

In the middle of the pitch, the team employs a four man midfield with two central players and two wide players. Jordán and Blanco form a central pairing to control the tempo and shield the defence. Jordán works to connect the defensive and attacking lines, while Blanco looks to intercept passes and win the ball back in a mid-block. On the flanks, CarlosVicente and CarlosMartín provide width and are responsible for tracking back to support the full backs. This midfield group works to compress the space in the center and force the opposition wide.

The attacking unit uses two forwards in a partnership to lead the line. KikeGarcía and Guridi work closely together to press the opposition back line and disrupt their build up from the back. KikeGarcía often looks to find the feet of the striker to hold up the ball, while Guridi makes runs in behind to exploit gaps in the defence. The team builds attacks by using the wide players to spread wide and deliver crosses, or by playing direct to the forwards to allow them to link up play between the lines.

Alavés gains a significant advantage through their compactness when defending, which makes them very hard to break down in a low block. The coordination between the two central midfielders and the two forwards allows the team to trigger a press in pairs when the ball enters certain zones. This setup also provides speed of transition, allowing the wide players and forwards to hit in behind on the transition once the ball is recovered.

This 4-4-2 formation relies on discipline and hard work to maintain a narrow defensive block. It is best suited for games against possession heavy sides where Alavés can sit deep and counter at pace.