Belgium National Football Team Formation

Starting Lineup

Preud'homme · Kompany · Vertonghen · Alderweireld · De Bruyne · Van Der Elst · Lukaku · Hazard · Mertens · Vandereycken · Ceulemans

The Red Devils look to play a high tempo game through a 3-4-3. Belgium wants to win the ball high up the pitch and attack with verticality to catch teams out. This formation is built to pin the opposition back and use width to stretch the defence across the pitch.

Preud'homme stands ready in goal to organize the back line. The defensive unit features Alderweireld, Kompany, and Vertonghen. Alderweireld and Vertonghen work as wide centre-backs to cover the space in the channels while Kompany serves as a ball playing defender who dominates in the air. The three defenders work together to defend zonally and can step up to set the offside trap when needed to keep the defensive line high.

The midfield works as a four-man unit to control the middle of the pitch. De Bruyne plays as a central threat with his passing range to break the line and find runners. Van Der Elst sits beside him to shield the defence and win the second ball. Vandereycken and Ceulemans provide the width by pushing high to overlap the wingers. This group connects the defensive and attacking lines by playing short from the back and progressing through the thirds with purpose.

The attacking line features three players to pressure the opposition back line. Lukaku works as a target man to hold up the ball and lay it off to others. Hazard and Mertens play as inverted wingers who cut inside to move into the half-spaces. Hazard uses his dribbling style to drive forward and Mertens looks to arrive late into the box. This formation creates many runs in behind and allows the team to attack in quick combinations.

One major tactical advantage for Belgium is the ability to create wide overloads when Ceulemans and Vandereycken join the attack. The passing ability of De Bruyne allows the team to split the defence with a through ball. This lineup also has the ability to press high in coordinated waves to win it back high up the pitch to keep the pressure on.

This 3-4-3 relies on aggressive movement and strong ball progression. It is best suited for games against teams that drop into a low block and allow the opposition to control the ball.