Roma Football Formation

Starting Lineup

1 Rui Patricio (12 Sommer)
5 Bartra (29 Zouma)
15 Hummels (89 Réale)
14 Laporte (23 Vlaar (vc))
20 Xhaka (53 Kavac)
77 Mkhitaryan (C) (52 Pellegrini (vc))
19 Jesé (22 Jairo)
92 El Shaarawy (3 Dočekal)
16 Paredes (26 Ebecilio)
7 Iturbe (78 Molinaro)
9 Lukaku (11 Puljic)

Roma plays with a high press and a direct intent to hurt opponents, utilizing a 3-4-3 formation. This lineup focuses on winning the ball high up the pitch and using vertical passing to reach the final third quickly. The intention is to use wide players to stretch the defence and create gaps for the central attackers to exploit through quick combinations.

Rui Patricio operates between the posts as the last line of defence. Behind the midfield, a back three consists of Hummels, Laporte, and Bartra. Hummels acts as a ball playing defender with a high reading of the game, while Laporte provides cover and helps to play out from the back. Bartra completes the trio, ensuring the unit stays compact. When defending, this back three can shift into a narrow defensive block to deny central access, often leaving the wide areas for the midfielders to track back and cover.

The midfield operates with a four man unit that connects the defence to the attack. Xhaka sits in front of the back three to shield the defence and recycle possession. Mkhitaryan (C), serving as captain, drives forward with the ball and connects the lines, using his passing range to move the play. El Shaarawy and Jesé occupy the central midfield roles, with El Shaarawy looking to carry the ball forward and Jesé providing support in the half spaces. This group works to squeeze the space in the middle of the pitch and win the second ball.

Roma uses three attackers to pin the opposition backline. Lukaku acts as a pressing centre-forward and target man, holding up the ball to allow others to join the attack. On the flanks, Iturbe and Paredes act as wide wingers who cut inside to create overloads in the central zones. The movement of these three creates runs in behind and allows for cutbacks from the wide areas. They press from the front to force a long ball and prevent the opposition from building play comfortably.

This formation offers several tactical advantages for Roma. The presence of a strong back three provides compactness when defending against central runners. By using wide wingers who cut inside, the team creates numerical superiority in the middle of the pitch. The combination of a physical striker and creative midfielders allows the team to transition quickly and attack the near post or far post with variety.

The 3-4-3 lineup provides a balanced way to control the tempo while remaining dangerous on the break. This setup is best suited for matches against teams that play a high defensive line or struggle to deal with physical strikers.