Borussia Dortmund Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Guirassy (Adeyemi) · Beier (Guirassy) · Adeyemi (Duranville) · Cherki (Beier) · Ramaj (Meyer) · Schlotterbeck (Anton) · Can (Mané) · Nmecha (Wätjen) · Carney · Ryerson · Svensson (Bensebaini)

Borussia Dortmund looks to dominate through a high press and verticality, utilizing a 4-4-2 formation. This lineup is built to play a direct style of football that hunts for the ball high up the pitch. The goal is to win it back quickly and transition into attack before the opponent can settle. By playing this way, the team aims to exploit the spaces left by teams that try to play out from the back.

Ramaj operates as the goalkeeper to anchor the defensive unit. The back line functions as a flat back four that can push up to set the offside trap. Ryerson acts as the right back, often looking to overlap the winger to provide width. Svensson holds the left side to maintain the defensive block. In the middle, Can plays as the right centre back, while Schlotterbeck takes the left centre back position. Schlotterbeck uses his aerial strength and his ability to carry the ball forward to help build play. They work together to defend zonally and cover for one another when a teammate steps up.

The midfield functions with a double pivot and two players operating in the half spaces. Carney and Nmecha sit in front of the defence to shield the back four and win the second ball. Nmecha works to intercept passes and recycle possession, while Carney looks to connect the lines. Ahead of them, Cherki and Adeyemi occupy the attacking midfield roles. Adeyemi uses his explosive pace to drive into channels and make runs in behind, while Cherki seeks to find the feet of the strikers or play through the lines. This midfield unit works to compress the midfield when the team drops into a mid-block.

In the attacking third, the team employs two forwards in a partnership. Guirassy acts as the primary striker, using his physical presence to hold up the ball and win the header. Beier plays as a second striker, often making late runs into the box to support the attack. They press the opposition back line together to force a long ball and win possession high up the pitch. The front two work in combinations to pull wide and stretch the defence, creating space for the midfielders to arrive.

This formation provides significant advantages through its speed of transition and ability to press in coordinated waves. The double pivot of Carney and Nmecha allows for great compactness when defending against central threats. Furthermore, the pace of Adeyemi and the movement of Beier create constant danger on the counter at pace. These elements make Borussia Dortmund very difficult to play against when they successfully trigger a press.

This 4-4-2 is a high intensity system focused on verticality and quick ball movement. It is best suited for facing opponents that play a possession based game with a high defensive line.