Borussia Dortmund Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Borussia Dortmund aims to overwhelm opponents through a heavy high press using a 3-3-4 formation. This lineup is built to play a very vertical game that prioritizes winning the ball back high up the pitch. The team wants to catch the opposition in transition and attack the spaces behind their defense immediately. This style focuses on constant pressure to disrupt the opponent before they can build their play.

KLOS operates as the goalkeeper to manage the area behind the defenders. The defense is a back three where SCHMIDT acts as the left centre back and REUTER plays as the right centre back. GRAUER sits in the center to hold the line and cover the space between the others. This unit must step up together to set the offside trap or drop into a low block if the team is forced to sit deep. The defenders must be ready to cover the space when the midfield pushes high.

The midfield consists of a three man unit to control the center of the pitch. ZORC sits in the middle to shield the defence and win the second ball. REINHARDT and LUSCH play as the two side midfielders to carry the ball forward and link the defensive unit to the attack. These players work to compress the midfield and ensure the team can quickly recover when the ball is lost. They are tasked with finding the feet of the strikers to move the ball quickly through the thirds.

Four attackers lead the charge to stretch the defence. POSCHNER and FRANCK operate as wide wingers to provide width and pull defenders away from the center. In the middle, CHAPUISAT and RUMMENIGGE form a strike partnership. RUMMENIGGE uses his legendary pace to run in behind, while CHAPUISAT works to hold up the ball and lay it off to his teammates. They press from the front to force the opposition to play long and win it back high up the pitch.

This formation provides Borussia Dortmund with clear tactical advantages such as numerical superiority in the final third. Having four players across the front line allows the team to pin the last defender and create many one on one situations for the wingers. The coordinated press from the front four allows the midfield to win it back high up the pitch and launch attacks quickly. This creates a heavy amount of pressure that can lead to many chances from cutbacks.

The 3-3-4 formation is a brave choice that relies on heavy pressing and verticality. It is best suited for matches against teams that struggle to play short from the back or cannot handle intense pressure in their own half.