Austria National Football Team Formation

Starting Lineup

Baumgartner · P. Wimmer · Sabitzer · R. Schmid · Lazaro · Seiwald · Laimer · Alaba · Danso · Lienhart · Hedl

Austria relies on a heavy high press to disrupt the opposition and win the ball high up the pitch. This 5-2-3 formation is built to play with verticality, looking to catch teams out on the break immediately after regaining possession. The lineup is designed to stay compact while waiting to trigger a press in the final third.

Hedl sits in goal to protect the defensive line. The back five functions as a zonal line where Seiwald acts as the central anchor to win headers and clear the lines. Lienhart and Danso operate as the side centre backs, providing cover for the wider areas and helping to defend zonally. David Alaba plays as the left wing back and uses his passing range to switch play, while Laimer acts as an attacking wing back on the right. Laimer provides high intensity to help the team press and track back when needed to maintain a solid defensive unit.

The midfield consists of a two man midfield with R. Schmid and Marcel Sabitzer. Sabitzer acts as a carrier to drive forward with the ball and connect the defensive and attacking lines. He uses his high work rate to help compress the midfield and deny the turn of opposition players in the central areas. These two are tasked to win the second ball and cover the space left by the advancing wing backs. When defending, they drop into a mid block to prevent being bypassed and to protect the centre backs.

In the final third, Austria uses three attackers across the front. Baumgartner acts as a pressing centre forward to pin the last defender and harass the opposition centre backs. P. Wimmer and Lazaro play as wide wingers who stretch the defence by hugging the touchline. These wingers look to cut inside or get to the byline to deliver early crosses for the striker. The goal is to create runs in behind and use combinations to break the line and isolate defenders in one on one situations.

This formation offers significant advantages through wide overloads when Alaba and Laimer push high and overlap the wingers. The team can press high in coordinated waves to force a long ball from the opponent and win it back high up the pitch. By using a back five, Austria remains compact when defending and can quickly transition from a low block to an attack.

This 5-2-3 formation is built for high intensity and winning the ball back quickly. It is best suited for matches against teams that try to play short from the back.