Athletic Football Formation

Starting Lineup

1 - Simon (13 - Padilla)
19 - Areso (2 - Gorosabel)
14 - Laporte (4 - Paredes)
3 - Vivian (23 - Azpilicueta)
17 - Yuri (25 - Boiro)
16 - Galarreta (6 - Vesga)
18 - Jauregizar (24 - Prados / 26 - Rego)
8 - Sancet (11 - Robert Navarro)
9 - Iñaki Williams (22 - Serrano / 25 - Izeta)
10 - Nico Williams (7 - Berenguer)
21 - Sannadi (12 - Guruzeta)

Athletic looks to play a high press with a very direct vertical game using a 4-3-3. This formation is built to win the ball high up the pitch and quickly hit the opposition in transition. The goal for Athletic is to use speed and width to stretch the defence and create scoring chances through rapid movement.

Simon acts as the last line of defence in goal. The back four functions as a flat back four where Areso plays as an overlapping full back on the right. On the left, Yuri provides width and support to the midfield. In the middle of the defence, Vivian and Laporte work as a central pair, with Laporte acting as a ball playing defender to help play out from the back while Vivian focuses on winning the header and covering space.

The midfield operates as a three-man midfield with a carrier and a creative core. Galarreta acts as the deep playmaker who helps recycle possession and links the defence to the attack. Jauregizar provides the engine to press aggressively and win the second ball in the middle of the pitch. Sancet plays as an attacking ten behind the striker, looking to arrive late into the box and find pockets of space between the lines to play through the lines.

The attacking line uses three attackers across the front to pin the last defender. Nico Williams plays as an inverted winger on the left, looking to cut inside and use his dribbling style to threaten the goal. On the right, Iñaki Williams plays as an inverted winger who uses his immense pace to run in behind. Sannadi works as a lone striker, tasked to hold up the ball and link up play with the wide players. This front three is designed to create runs in behind and isolate wide players in one on one situations.

This lineup offers significant tactical advantages through its ability to press high in coordinated waves. By using the speed of Nico Williams and Iñaki Williams, the team can exploit transitions immediately after winning the ball. The central presence of Sancet allows for numerical superiority in the half-spaces, making it hard for opponents to track all runners.

Athletic relies on high intensity and rapid verticality to overwhelm the opposition. This formation is best suited for games against teams that play a high line and struggle to defend against quick transitions.