Monaco Football Formation
Starting Lineup
SUBASIC · YAYA TOURE · NKOLOU · SIMIC · TZIOLIS · GUDJOHNSEN · GIULY · MENEZ · AUBA · KOHLER · DI VAIOMonaco plays with a high press and verticality in their 3-4-3 formation. The team focuses on winning the ball high up the pitch to attack the opposition quickly. This formation is built to play with directness, looking to catch opponents out of position through rapid movement.
SUBASIC sits in goal to anchor the defensive unit. The back line consists of a back three with NKOLOU, YAYA TOURE, and SIMIC. NKOLOU and SIMIC act as wide centre-backs to cover the wide areas when the team pushes up. YAYA TOURE plays in the middle to win the header and command the central zone. The defensive unit works to hold a high line or drop into a low block to deny the turn to attackers.
In the middle, the formation uses a single pivot and three central players to control the center. TZIOLIS acts as the holding midfielder to shield the defence and intercept passes. GUDJOHNSEN, GIULY, and MENEZ provide the engine to carry the ball forward. GIULY and MENEZ operate in the half-spaces to link the defence and attack. TZIOLIS drops between the centre-backs to receive the ball when playing out from the back, while GUDJOHNSEN makes late runs into the box.
The front line uses three attackers across the front to pin the last defender. DI VAIO plays on the left as an inverted winger to cut inside, while AUBA operates on the right to spread wide. KOHLER acts as the central striker to hold up the ball and link play. The front three work to press from the front and force a long ball from the opposition. AUBA and DI VAIO look to get to the byline and cut it back for KOHLER or players who arrive late into the box.
A major advantage for Monaco is the ability to create numerical superiority in the midfield. Because TZIOLIS can drop deep, GUDJOHNSEN, GIULY, and MENEZ can push higher to compress the midfield. This formation also offers great speed of transition, as AUBA and DI VAIO can break quickly once the ball is won. The team can also squeeze the space effectively when defending in a mid-block.
This 3-4-3 formation relies on intense pressing and rapid attacking movement. It is best suited for games against teams that try to play short from the back.