Auxerre Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Donovan Léon · Lassine Sinayoko · Hamed Junior Traorè · Gaëtan Perrin · Elisha Owusu · Kévin Danois · Gideon Mensah · Clément Akpa · Jubal · Sinaly Diomandé · Ki-Jana Hoever

Auxerre aim to play a direct and high pressing game using a 5-2-3 formation. This lineup is built to win the ball high up the pitch and hit teams quickly in transition. The side wants to control the tempo through verticality rather than slow possession, using the width provided by the wing backs to stretch the opposition.

Donovan Léon plays between the posts as the goalkeeper to manage the space behind the defense. The back line functions as a back three with Jubal acting as the central defender to anchor the unit. Sinaly Diomandé sits on the right side of the three while Clément Akpa occupies the left. To provide width, Ki-Jana Hoever and Gideon Mensah act as attacking wing backs. They push high to support the attack but must track back to form a five man defensive block when the team sits deep. The central defenders focus on winning the second ball and clearing the lines when under pressure.

The midfield works as a double pivot to control the center of the pitch. Elisha Owusu and Kévin Danois occupy the two central roles to link the defense and the attack. Owusu focuses on shielding the defense and breaking up play, while Danois looks to carry the ball forward to drive the team into the final third. This pair must work hard to compress the midfield and ensure the space between the lines is not exploited by the opponent. They are responsible for recycling possession and finding the wide players.

In the attacking third, the team uses three attackers to pin the opposition back line. Lassine Sinayoko operates as a lone striker to hold up the ball and lead the press from the front. Hamed Junior Traorè and Gaëtan Perrin occupy the wide areas as wingers. Traorè and Perrin are tasked to stay wide to spread the defense or cut inside to create goal scoring chances. The movement of the front three is designed to create runs in behind and allow the wing backs to overlap the winger.

Auxerre gains a significant advantage through the width provided by Ki-Jana Hoever and Gideon Mensah, which creates wide overloads in the attacking phase. The formation also offers compactness when defending in a low block, making it difficult for opponents to play through the middle. This setup allows the team to switch play quickly to isolate wide players in one on one situations.

This 5-2-3 formation provides a strong defensive base while maintaining a potent threat on the break. It is a lineup best suited for facing teams that play a high line and leave space behind their defenders.