RB Salzburg Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Gourna-Douath · Ratkov · Vertessen · Daghim · Kjærgaard · Bidstrup · Lainer · Krätzig · Rasmussen · Gadou · Schlager

RB Salzburg play a high pressing, vertical style of football with a 5-2-3 formation. This lineup aims to win the ball high up the pitch and move towards the goal as quickly as possible. The goal is to use heavy pressure to force mistakes and then break quickly in transition.

Schlager sits in goal to command the area. The defensive unit works as a back five. Gourna-Douath holds the middle of the line while Gadou and Rasmussen act as wide centre-backs to cover the channels. Lainer and Krätzig function as attacking wing backs to provide width. They push high to support the attack and track back to defend the flanks. The back line tries to hold a high line to squeeze the space between the units.

In the middle, the team uses a double pivot consisting of Kjærgaard and Bidstrup. Kjærgaard and Bidstrup work to control the tempo and connect the defense to the attack. One midfielder often drops to help the ball playing centre-backs while the other drives forward with the ball to create numbers in the final third. They must also press aggressively to win the ball back in a mid-block.

The front line features three attackers. Vertessen and Daghim play as wide wingers who spread the pitch. Ratkov acts as the lone striker to lead the press from the front. Vertessen and Daghim look to cut inside to find space between the lines or hit in behind on the transition. Ratkov works to hold up the ball and find the feet of his teammates. This attacking trio creates constant pressure on the opposition back line through runs in behind and quick combinations.

This formation offers several advantages for RB Salzburg. The presence of Lainer and Krätzig allows for wide overloads that can pin the last defender. The team can also press in coordinated waves to win the ball high up the pitch. Additionally, the ability to transition at pace makes them very dangerous when they win the second ball in the middle third.

This 5-2-3 formation is built for aggressive, vertical football that relies on high intensity. It is best suited for matches against teams that play with a high defensive line and leave space to exploit.