Borussia Dortmund Football Formation

Starting Lineup

KOBEL · SCHLOTTERBECK · ANTON · COUTO · BENSEBAINI · BRANDT · ADEYEMI · GUIRASSY · GITTENS · SABITZER · NMECHA

Borussia Dortmund plays with a high press identity using a 4-2-4. This lineup is built to play vertical football and strike quickly in transition. The main aim is to win the ball high up the pitch and move toward the goal with maximum speed. By pushing the players forward, the team looks to pin the opposition back and force errors in their own half.

Kobel stands in goal to command his area and sweep behind the defense. The back line functions as a flat back four. Schlotterbeck and Anton serve as the central defenders, where Schlotterbeck uses his passing range to play out from the back while Anton stays to cover the space. Couto and Bensebaini act as attacking wing backs, meaning they push high to provide width. This requires the central defenders to hold the line and step up to catch opponents offside, or drop to cover the space when the full backs are caught far forward.

The midfield operates with a double pivot to bridge the gap between the defense and the attack. Sabitzer and Nmecha occupy this central space. Acting as a carrier, Sabitzer drives forward with the ball to link the play. Nmecha works to press aggressively to win the ball high and win the second ball in the middle third. This duo must be ready to drop into a mid-block if the first press is bypassed, ensuring they do not leave the center of the pitch too exposed.

The front line uses four attackers to stretch the opposition. Adeyemi and Gittens play as wide wingers who often cut inside to create more central presence. They look to exploit the space between the opponent's full backs and center backs. Brandt and Guirassy form a two forward partnership in the box. Guirassy acts as a pressing centre-forward to harass the defenders, while Brandt looks to find the feet of the striker or arrive late into the box to score. This formation encourages runs in behind and quick cutbacks from the byline.

A primary strength of this Borussia Dortmund lineup is the ability to press high in coordinated waves. The four attackers and two midfielders can trigger a press together to squeeze the space. Another advantage is the speed of transition, as the team can move from a winning tackle to a shot on goal in seconds. The formation also aims to create wide overloads when the wingers pull wide and the full backs overlap them.

This 4-2-4 formation is a high risk, high reward system centered on aggressive attacking. It is best suited for games where the team needs to break down a deep block through intense pressure and verticality.