Austria National Football Team Formation

Starting Lineup

Austria plays a high press and vertical style of football using a 4-2-4 formation. The intent is to win it back high up the pitch and look to hit in behind on the transition. This lineup is built to stretch the defence and punish teams that cannot play out from the back under pressure. The Austrian national team uses this setup to force mistakes in the opposition half.

PENTZ stays in goal as the defensive unit operates with a flat back four. DANSO and ALABA act as the central defenders where DANSO uses his aerial strength to win the header and clear the lines. ALABA uses his passing range to play short from the back and progress through the thirds. On the flanks, PRASS and LAIMER act as wide defenders. LAIMER is able to carry the ball forward to support the attack, while PRASS must track back to defend zonally when the team is out of possession.

The midfield is a double pivot consisting of SCHLAGER and SABITZER. SABITZER uses his pressing intensity to trigger a press and win the second ball in the middle of the park. SCHLAGER sits deeper to shield the defence and connect the defensive and attacking lines. They must work to compress the midfield and prevent the opposition from playing through the lines.

The attack uses four players across the front to pin the last defender. WIMMER and LAZARO act as wingers who spread wide to stretch the defence. WIMMER looks to get to the byline and whip it in, while LAZARO often cuts inside to create chances. BAUMGARTNER and GREGORITSCH play as a pair of strikers. One can hold up the ball to lay it off, while the other makes runs in behind to exploit the space. This allows the team to attack in combinations in tight spaces if the opposition sits deep.

A primary strength is the ability to press high in coordinated waves with the front four. This creates the chance to win it back high up the pitch and create immediate scoring opportunities. The team also benefits from wide overloads when the full backs push up to overlap the winger.

This 4-2-4 formation is a highly aggressive lineup built for rapid attacking. It is best suited for games against opponents that play a high line or struggle to pass out of their own half.