Austria National Football Team Formation

Starting Lineup

Alaba · Lainer · Hinteregger · Dragovic · Arnautovic · Grillitsch · Schlager · Laimer · Baumgartner · Sabitzer · Strebinger

Austria looks to dominate through a high press and verticality in this 5-2-3. This formation is built to win it back high up the pitch and strike with speed. The focus is on forcing errors in the opposition half and breaking quickly through the middle or the flanks.

Strebinger stands between the posts to command the area. The defensive unit operates with a back three. Grillitsch sits in the centre to sweep behind a high line and organize the defence. Dragovic plays as the right centre back to cover space and intercept passes, while Hinteregger acts as the left centre back to defend zonally. Lainer and Alaba act as attacking wing backs to provide width. Alaba uses his passing range to play short from the back, while Lainer pushes forward to overlap the winger.

The midfield functions with a double pivot to control the centre. Laimer and Schlager occupy the two central roles to protect the back three. Laimer uses his pressing intensity to win the ball and carries the ball forward into the attacking third. Schlager helps to shield the defence and win the second ball to keep the pressure on. These two players connect the defensive line to the attackers, making sure the team can recycle possession or play through the lines to find the front three.

The front line uses three attackers to stretch the defence. Arnautovic operates as a target man to hold up the ball and win the header against centre backs. Sabitzer plays as a right winger who cuts inside to create chances and uses his shooting to score. Baumgartner works on the left to pull wide and look for runs in behind. The team looks to combine in tight spaces or use the width of the wing backs to whip it in towards the box.

This lineup offers several tactical advantages. The presence of Laimer and Schlager allows for numerical superiority in the middle when they squeeze the space. The wing backs, Lainer and Alaba, create wide overloads that force the opposition to defend against constant crosses. Austria can also transition from a compact block into a direct attack with great speed.

This 5-2-3 formation is best used to overwhelm opponents who play with a high line. It is ideal for games where Austria needs to win the ball high up the pitch to exploit space behind the defence.