Levante Football Formation

Starting Lineup

1. Adrià Ruiz (13. Iván García)
26. Siriki
2. Mario Sorio
5. Javier Nüñez
3. Izan Olmos
18. Unai Tirado
19. Joan Castelló (29. Xavier Larouche)
20. Biel Gutiérrez
7. Abdoulie Jawo
9. Andrei Roates
27. Asier Cano

Levante aims to play a direct and vertical style of football within a 5-2-3 formation. This lineup is built to absorb pressure and strike with speed when transitions occur. By using a heavy defensive base, the team can sit deep and wait for the right moment to hit in behind the opponent.

Adrià Ruiz starts between the posts to command the area. The defensive unit functions as a back five with Unai Tirado acting as the central anchor to win the header and clear the lines. Javier Nüñez and Mario Sorio operate as the wide centre-backs to cover the channels and pick up runners. Siriki and Izan Olmos play as attacking wing backs who provide the width. Siriki pushes high to overlap the winger while Izan Olmos provides balance on the opposite side. This defensive block stays compact to deny the turn to opposition attackers.

The midfield relies on a double pivot consisting of Biel Gutiérrez and Joan Castelló. These two must work hard to shield the defence and win the second ball in the center of the pitch. Biel Gutiérrez is tasked to carry the ball forward and link the back five to the front three. Joan Castelló helps to recycle possession and press in a mid-block to prevent the opponent from playing through the lines. They are the engine that connects the defensive unit to the attacking players.

Up front, Levante uses three attackers to stretch the defence. Andrei Roates acts as the lone striker to hold up the ball and pin the last defender. Asier Cano plays as an inverted winger on the left to cut inside and create chances, while Abdoulie Jawo stays wide on the right to provide service. The front three press from the front to force a long ball from the opposition. They look to exploit the space behind the defence through runs in behind and quick combinations.

One major advantage for Levante is the ability to create wide overloads through the movement of Siriki and Izan Olmos. The team also benefits from a very compact shape when defending in a low block, making it hard for opponents to find gaps. This formation allows the players to shift quickly to defend the wings or pack the middle to deny the pivot.

This 5-2-3 formation is designed to be defensively solid and lethal on the break. It is best suited for matches against teams that hold high possession and leave space behind their back line.