Milan Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Ardon Jashari (W. Bondo) · Youssouf Fofana (Javi Guerra) · Luka Modric (Samuele Ricci) · Pulisic (Saelemakers) · Rafa Leao (F. Chiesa) · Mateo Retegui (S. Gimenez) · G. Doué (Jimenez) · G. Leoni (Tomori) · Pavlovic (Gabbia) · Maignan (Sportiello) · S. Cardona (Bartesaghi)

Milan seeks to win the ball high up the pitch and strike with speed using a 5-2-3 formation. This lineup relies on a heavy press and quick transitions to catch opponents off guard. The team looks to use the width of the pitch to stretch the opposition before playing through the lines to the attackers.

Maignan guards the goal and acts as a sweeper when the team plays a high line. The defensive unit sits in a back five with Luka Modric leading the center alongside G. Leoni and Pavlovic. Luka Modric acts as a ball playing defender to start attacks from the back. G. Leoni and Pavlovic stay central to defend the box and win the second ball. On the flanks, S. Cardona and G. Doué act as attacking wing backs to provide width. They must track back to form a narrow defensive block when the team loses possession.

The midfield functions as a double pivot where Youssouf Fofana and Ardon Jashari work to control the center. Youssouf Fofana acts as the engine to drive forward with the ball and press aggressively to win the ball back. Ardon Jashari sits deeper to shield the defense and connect the defensive and attacking lines. This pairing must stay compact to prevent the opposition from playing through the middle. They work to recycle possession and find the wide players once the ball is regained.

In the attacking phase, Milan uses three attackers to pin the last defender. Mateo Retegui operates as a lone striker to hold up the ball and fight for headers. Pulisic and Rafa Leao play as wide wingers who cut inside to create goalscoring chances. Rafa Leao uses his dribbling style to beat markers on the flank, while Pulisic looks to find space in the channels. These forwards press from the front to force a long ball from the opposition.

A major strength of this Milan lineup is the ability to create wide overloads through the movement of S. Cardona and G. Doué. The team can also switch play quickly to isolate Pulisic or Rafa Leao in one on one situations. This setup provides great compactness when defending in a low block.

The 5-2-3 formation is built for teams that want to exploit space on the break. It is best suited for facing opponents that play a high line and leave gaps behind their defenders.