Botafogo Football Formation

Starting Lineup

12- John
22- Vitinho
15- Bastos
20- Barboza
13- Alex Telles
26- Gregore
17- M. Freitas
7- Artur
10- J. Savarino
23- S. Rodríguez*
99- Igor Jesus

Botafogo relies on a high press and quick transitions through a 4-5-1 formation. This lineup seeks to win the ball high up the pitch and hit the opposition in behind before they can settle. The goal is to squeeze the space in the middle and use the width of the pitch to stretch the play.

John sits between the posts to organize the defensive line. The back four functions as a zonal line where Bastos acts as a ball playing defender to start attacks. Barboza provides cover to help the defensive unit stay compact, while Vitinho and Alex Telles operate as wide defenders. Vitinho is tasked to push up and overlap the winger, whereas Alex Telles can cut inside to add extra passing options in the half spaces.

A five man midfield provides a dense block to deny the turn of any attacking midfielder. Gregore acts as a single pivot to shield the defence and win the second ball. M. Freitas works alongside him to help recycle possession and protect the center. Artur and S. Rodríguez act as inverted eights who arrive late into the box, while J. Savarino plays as an attacking ten behind the striker to connect the lines and find the feet of the striker.

The attacking play is built around a lone striker, Igor Jesus, who acts as a pressing centre-forward to force a long ball from the opposition. He works to hold up the ball and wait for the wide players or midfielders to join the run. The attack relies on the movement of J. Savarino to create space in the hole. Botafogo looks to use quick one two combinations to bypass the midfield and find Igor Jesus in one on one situations.

This formation offers significant advantages through numerical superiority in midfield to control the central area. The team can also create wide overloads when Vitinho and Alex Telles push high to support the wide midfielders. This ability to shift between a compact defensive block and a rapid counter at pace makes them difficult to play against.

Botafogo uses this setup to dominate the center of the pitch through a crowded midfield. This formation is best suited for matches against teams that want to keep possession, as it allows the team to win it back high up the pitch.