Las Palmas Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Cilessen · Jesé · Jaunujaz · Aquilani · Sidnei · Maurício Lemos · Remy · Atouba · Jeison Murillo · Rondon · ?

Las Palmas play a defensively solid game using a 5-3-2 formation. This lineup is built to sit deep and strike on the counter at pace. The identity of the team is focused on remaining compact and making it difficult for the opposition to find space in the central areas. This formation is designed to deny the turn to attacking players and force the play into less dangerous areas.

Cilessen stays in goal to command the area while the back five holds a low block. Aquilani plays in the center as a covering defender to sweep behind the line. Jeison Murillo and Sidnei act as the other two centre backs to win the second ball and defend the central zones. Atouba operates as an attacking wing back on the left to provide width and overlap the winger when the team has the ball. Maurício Lemos functions as a defensive wing back on the right to help the unit stay compact and track back quickly.

The midfield operates as a three man midfield to control the center of the pitch. Jaunujaz plays on the left to shield the defence and pick up runners. The player ? occupies the right side of the midfield to help recycle possession and move the ball through the thirds. Jesé acts as an attacking ten in the hole to connect the defensive and attacking lines. This midfield group works to squeeze the space and win it back high up the pitch through aggressive pressing.

In the final third, Las Palmas use a two man partnership of forwards. Remy works as a striker who can drop into the pockets to link play, while Rondon acts as a target man to hold up the ball and win the header. They press from the front to force the opposition to go direct and play a long ball. The team creates attacking opportunities through combinations in tight spaces or by looking to hit in behind on the transition.

One major strength of this lineup is the numerical superiority in the central defensive zone. By using three centre backs, the team can easily double up on an opposition striker. Another advantage is the ability to shift between positions, as the wing backs can push high to create wide overloads. This makes the team very hard to break down when they sit deep.

This 5-3-2 formation is a resilient way to play against teams that want to dominate possession. It is best suited for matches where Las Palmas need to stay compact and exploit the opposition through quick transitions.