Maccabi Tel-Aviv Football Formation

Starting Lineup

רביבו (LB) · סטויץ (CB) · אסנטה (CB) · בן הרוש (RB) · ניקולאסקו (ST) · פטאצי (LW) · דוידה (RW) · לדרמן (CM) · פרץ (CM) · סיסוקו (CDM) · גארפי (GK)

Maccabi Tel-Aviv aims to play a direct and aggressive style of football with a 5-2-3 formation. This lineup is built to exploit wide areas and use rapid transitions to catch opponents off guard. The team focuses on winning the second ball and using the width of the pitch to stretch the opposition.

גארפי sits between the posts to organize the defensive unit. The defensive line consists of a back three with סיסוקו acting as the central defender to hold the line. אסנטה plays as the right centre-back while סטויץ covers the left side. The wing backs, בן הרוש on the right and רביבו on the left, provide the main width. בן הרוש pushes high to overlap the wide players, while רביבו works to cover the flank and support the back three. The central defenders aim to win the header and clear the lines when under pressure.

The midfield works as a double pivot to control the center of the pitch. פרץ and לדרמן act as the two central midfielders who must manage the space between the defense and the attack. פרץ works to win the ball back high up the pitch and drive the team forward, while לדרמן drops deeper to connect the defensive and attacking lines. These two players are responsible for recycling possession and ensuring the team does not get caught out in transition. They must also track back to support the wing backs when the team loses the ball.

Maccabi Tel-Aviv employs three attackers to pin the opposition defense. פטאצי operates as a wide winger on the left, cutting inside to create threats, while דוידה stays wide on the right to deliver crosses. ניקולאסקו leads the line as a lone striker, tasked to hold up the ball and find the feet of the oncoming midfielders. The front three press from the front to force a long ball and prevent the opposition from building play from the back. This setup creates many opportunities for runs in behind and cutbacks from the byline.

The tactical advantages of this formation include the ability to create wide overloads through the movement of בן הרוש and דוידה. Maccabi Tel-Aviv also benefits from a very compact defensive block when they drop into a low block. This setup makes it difficult for opponents to play through the middle, forcing them to play wide where the wing backs can engage. The speed of transition from the double pivot to the front three allows for quick attacks.

This 5-2-3 formation provides a solid base for counter attacking football. It is best suited for games against teams that dominate possession and leave space behind their high defensive line.