Leganés Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Dmitrovic (Soriano) · Sergio G (Saénz) · Nástasic · Javi Hdez (Franquesa/Barisic) · Rosier (Alti) · Tapia (Chicco) · Neyou (Brasanac) · Cisse (Óscar/Roberto) · Juan Cruz (Diomande/Duk) · Raba (Munir) · Miguel (Diego García)

Leganés relies on a defensive block to absorb pressure and strike on the transition, using a 5-2-3 formation. This lineup is built to stay compact and wait for the right moment to break quickly. By keeping players close together, the team looks to frustrate opponents and use the space left behind them.

Dmitrovic stays between the posts to organize the back line. The defensive unit sits in a deep block with Tapia acting as the central anchor to clear the lines and win the header. Sergio G and Nástasic play as the side centre backs to cover the space behind the wing backs and protect the middle. Rosier and Javi Hdez act as attacking wing backs who need to provide width and track back to help the defence. This back five ensures the team is hard to break down when defending zonally.

In the middle of the pitch, Neyou and Cisse form a double pivot to control the central area. Cisse sits deeper to shield the defence and intercept passes, while Neyou works to carry the ball forward and connect the defensive and attacking lines. They must stay close to each other to compress the midfield and prevent the opposition from playing through the lines. Their primary job is to win the second ball and quickly look to find the attackers.

The attack features three players that stretch the defence. Miguel plays as a lone striker to hold up the ball and pin the last defender. Raba and Juan Cruz operate as wide attackers, with Raba staying wide to pull the defender away and Juan Cruz looking to cut inside and find the feet of the striker. The team looks to use the wing backs to overlap the winger and deliver early crosses into the box.

One major strength of this Leganés lineup is the compactness when defending, making it very difficult for opponents to find gaps. The team also gains wide overloads when Rosier and Javi Hdez push up to support the front three. This creates many passing lanes for the attackers to exploit during a quick transition.

This 5-2-3 formation is built for teams that want to sit deep and exploit space on the break. It is best suited for matches against high possession teams that leave gaps in their defensive lines.