Austria National Football Team Formation

Starting Lineup

Alaba · Lienhart · Laimer · Prass · Grillitsch · Schlager · Seiwald · R. Schmid · Baumgartner · Sabitzer · Schlager

Built to play a high press and use quick transitions, Austria plays with a 5-2-3 formation. This lineup aims to win the ball high up the pitch and move the ball forward with pace to catch opponents out of position.

Schlager operates in goal to manage the defensive line. The defensive unit uses a back five with Grillitsch at the center, flanked by Lienhart and Alaba. Alaba uses his passing range to distribute the ball and provides defensive cover with his positional sense. Lienhart remains deep to defend zonally. Prass and Laimer act as attacking wing backs, pushing high to provide width and support the attack. This allows the defenders to drop into a mid-block to deny the turn to attackers.

The midfield functions as a double pivot consisting of Seiwald and Schlager. Seiwald works to carry the ball forward and drives into the half spaces to break the line. Schlager stays deeper to shield the defense and intercept passes. They connect the defensive line to the attacking trio by playing short from the back and progressing through the thirds. This two-man unit ensures the team can recycle possession effectively.

In the final third, Austria utilizes three attackers. Baumgartner acts as a pressing centre-forward to pin the last defender and harass the back line. R. Schmid stays wide to stretch the defense, while Sabitzer plays as an inverted winger, using his passing range to create space and arrive late into the box. Prass and Laimer overlap the winger to create overloads near the byline. This movement creates runs in behind and allows the team to deliver early crosses or cut it back to the edge of the area.

A primary strength of this Austria lineup is the ability to create wide overloads through the movement of the wing backs. By having Prass and Laimer push high, the team can isolate wide players in one on one situations. Additionally, the team can press high in coordinated waves to force a long ball from the opposition and win the second ball. This makes it very difficult for opponents to play out from the back.

This 5-2-3 formation is built for high pressing and quick transitions. It is most effective against opponents that play a high line and struggle to defend in behind.