RB Salzburg Football Formation

Starting Lineup

RB Salzburg play an aggressive, vertical game using a 2-5-3 formation. This lineup is built to win the ball high up the pitch and break quickly once possession is regained. The team aims to suffocate opponents by keeping the play in the final third and squeezing the space to prevent the opposition from playing out from the back.

Schlager acts as the goalkeeper behind a very high line. Caufriez and Baidoo form the central defensive pair, tasked with playing out from the back and covering large spaces. Because the formation uses only two center backs, they must be ready to step up and intercept long balls or track runners. They must be prepared to defend one on one situations in open space and be ready to clear the lines when under pressure.

The midfield acts as the engine of the RB Salzburg lineup, covering massive amounts of ground. Dedic and Terzic sit in a double pivot to shield the two center backs and recycle possession. Bidstrup and Capaldo operate in the half spaces to connect the defensive unit to the attack, often carrying the ball forward to push the lines up. Gloukh plays as an attacking ten behind the striker, looking to find pockets of space to play through the lines or arrive late into the box.

Up front, the team uses three attackers to stretch the defence. Vertessen and Konaté operate as wide wingers, while Ratkov plays as a pressing centre-forward. Vertessen and Konaté look to pull wide to spread the defence before cutting inside to create threats. Ratkov works to hold up the ball and fight for second balls to keep the pressure high. This front line is designed to trigger a press from the front, forcing the opponent to play long or commit errors.

One major advantage of this formation is the numerical superiority in the middle of the pitch. With five players in the central area, the team can dominate the ball and compress the midfield. The formation also allows for incredible speed of transition, as the wide players and attacking midfielders are always positioned to counter at pace. This creates constant pressure on the opposition defence and allows the team to break quickly.

This 2-5-3 formation is a high risk, high reward formation designed for aggressive football. It is best suited for matches where the team can exploit a high defensive line and win the ball high up the pitch.