PSG Football Formation

Starting Lineup

L. Hernandez · Marquinhos · N. Mendes · Hakimi · G. Ramos · Kvaratskhelia · Dembélé · F. Ruiz · Vitinha · Pacho · Donnarumma

PSG plays a high pressing and vertical game with a 3-4-3 formation. This lineup is built to win the ball back high up the pitch and quickly transition into attack. The goal is to pin the opposition back and use the width of the pitch to stretch the defence.

Donnarumma acts as the last line of defence, using his presence to command the box. The defensive unit operates with a back three consisting of Pacho, Marquinhos, and L. Hernandez. Marquinhos plays as the central ball playing defender who reads the game to intercept passes, with Pacho and L. Hernandez covering the spaces to the sides. This back three can step up to set the offside trap or drop into a low block if needed. The unit works to squeeze the space between the lines and maintain a high line to keep the game in the opponent's half.

The midfield relies on a central pairing of Vitinha and F. Ruiz to control the tempo. Vitinha uses his passing range to progress through the thirds and find the feet of the striker, and F. Ruiz works to connect the defensive and attacking lines. To provide width, N. Mendes and Hakimi operate as aggressive wing backs. Hakimi and N. Mendes push up to overlap the winger and deliver early crosses into the box. This allows the team to shift from a compact position to a wide attacking force quickly.

Up front, PSG employs three attackers to pressure the opposition back line. G. Ramos acts as the pressing centre forward, looking to win the second ball and hold up the ball for his teammates. Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia operate as inverted wingers who cut inside to create goal scoring chances. Dembélé uses his dribbling to beat markers, and Kvaratskhelia looks to play through the lines. These three forwards work in combinations to hit in behind on the transition and exploit gaps in the defence.

One major strength is the ability to create wide overloads because Hakimi and N. Mendes can push high to support the wingers. The team also benefits from the ability to press high in coordinated waves, using the front three to trigger a press. This creates chaos in the opponent's build up play. Additionally, the central pairing of Vitinha and F. Ruiz provides stability to recycle possession and switch play to the opposite flank.

This 3-4-3 formation is designed for aggressive, high tempo football that demands constant movement. It is best suited for matches against teams that struggle to deal with wide overloads and high defensive lines.