Austria National Football Team Formation

Starting Lineup

Wimmer · Lazaro · Lienhart · Danso · Posch · Seiwald · Laimer · Baumgartner · R. Schmid · Sabitzer · Bachmann

Austria plays a high press game with a 3-4-3. The team focuses on winning the ball high up the pitch to attack quickly. This formation is built to press the opponent and force mistakes in their own half.

Bachmann stays in goal to command the area. The defensive unit sits in a back three with Lienhart, Danso, and Posch. Lienhart acts as the central ball playing defender to help play out from the back. Danso and Posch provide strength to win the header and defend zonally. This back three works to push up and keep the line high to squeeze the space.

The midfield operates with a central pairing of Seiwald and Laimer. Seiwald works to shield the defense and intercept passes, while Laimer uses his high pressing intensity to drive forward and carry the ball forward. Lazaro and Wimmer act as the wide players in this formation, providing width to stretch the defence. Lazaro and Wimmer must track back to help the defense when possession is lost. They link the back three to the front three by playing short from the back and moving through the thirds.

Up front, Baumgartner leads the line as a pressing striker. R. Schmid and Sabitzer operate as wingers who cut inside to create central presence. Sabitzer uses his passing range to find teammates while R. Schmid looks to run in behind the defense. Baumgartner works to hold up the ball and let others arrive late into the box. R. Schmid and Sabitzer often pull wide to get to the byline and deliver a cross. This front three works to pin the last defender and create runs in behind.

A major advantage for Austria is the ability to press high in coordinated waves. The central duo of Seiwald and Laimer allows for compactness when defending in the middle. The wide players Lazaro and Wimmer create wide overloads by overlapping the winger. This creates many one on one situations for the attackers.

The 3-4-3 lineup is built for high energy and rapid attacking. It works best against teams that try to play out from the back and leave space behind their midfield.