Roma Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Roma aim to control games through high aggression and verticality using a 2-5-3 formation. This lineup is built to overwhelm the opposition in the final third and win the ball back high up the pitch immediately after losing it. By pushing bodies forward, the team looks to dictate the tempo and force errors in the opponent's defensive third.

Svilar stays between the posts to manage the space behind the high line. The defensive unit consists of a narrow back two with Ndicka and Mancini acting as the central pillars. Mancini provides aerial strength and physical presence to win the second ball, while Ndicka focuses on covering space and intercepting passes. Because there are only two central defenders, the team relies on the midfielders to squeeze the space in front of them to prevent being bypassed.

The midfield is a heavy five man block that provides both width and central density. Rensch and Angeliño occupy the defensive roles to shield the back two, while Cristante and Koné operate in the half spaces to drive forward with the ball. Dybala sits in the hole as the attacking ten, acting as the primary creator who links the midfield to the front line. This group works together to press in a mid-block or push up to trigger a press high up the pitch, ensuring the opposition cannot play out from the back easily.

In the attacking phase, Roma deploy three players across the front to stretch the defence. Dovbyk acts as the target man to hold up the ball and win headers, providing a focal point for the attack. Soulé stays wide on the right to isolate a one on one, while Pellegrini moves in from the left to create extra numbers in the box. The team looks to attack in combinations, using the link up play between the lines to find Dybala before knocking it in behind the defenders.

This formation offers several tactical advantages, particularly the ability to press high in coordinated waves to force a long ball. The numerical superiority in the central areas allows Roma to dominate the ball and recycle possession quickly. Additionally, the presence of Soulé and Pellegrini allows the team to exploit wide areas to create overloads when the wingers pull wide.

Roma utilizes this aggressive lineup to pin the last defender and dominate territory. It is a system best suited for matches where the team needs to break down a low block through constant pressure.