Custom Team Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Raya (Trafford, Vicario) (Arsenal) · Ballard (Acheampong, Porro, Romero) (Sunderland) · de Ligt (Gabriel, Stones, van Dijk) (Man Utd) · Van de Ven (AN, Guehi, Shaw, Spence) (Tottenham) · Semenyo (Bergvall, Mac A, Wharton) (Bournemouth) · Sarr (Caicedo, Casemiro, Kamara) (Tottenham) · Reijnders (Anderson, Gonzalez, Onana) (Man City) · Richarlison (O. Bobb, Wood) (Tottenham) · Haaland (Chiesa) (Man City) · Ekitike (Johnson, Gakpo) (Liverpool) · Kudus (Cherki, Diarra, Lewis) (Tottenham)

A high press and aggressive verticality define this team, which operates in a 3-5-2. This formation aims to win the ball high up the pitch and break quickly through the middle to catch the opposition off guard. Every player in this lineup works to squeeze the space and push the opponent back into their own half through constant pressure.

Raya acts as the last line of defense, often playing short from the back to start the build up. The back three consists of de Ligt, Ballard, and Van de Ven. de Ligt anchors the center, using his aerial strength and presence to defend the middle. Ballard provides cover while Van de Ven uses his recovery speed to sweep behind the line if the opposition tries to play long. This back three maintains a high line to keep the team compact.

In the middle of the pitch, a three-man midfield acts as the engine room. Sarr plays as the single pivot to shield the defense and win the second ball. Reijnders and Semenyo operate in the half spaces, with Reijnders looking to carry the ball forward and Semenyo pressing aggressively to win it back high up the pitch. Kudus links the lines, using his dribbling to progress through the thirds, while Ekitike plays as an attacking ten behind the strikers to find the feet of the forwards.

The attacking unit relies on two forwards in a partnership to stretch the defense. Haaland acts as a pressing centre-forward, using his physical strength to pin the last defender, while Richarlison plays as a second striker in the hole to pull defenders out of position. They look to combine in tight spaces and make runs in behind to exploit gaps. The goal is to use the central presence of the two strikers to allow the midfielders to arrive late into the box.

One major strength of this formation is the ability to press high in coordinated waves, making it hard for opponents to play out from the back. The team also gains numerical superiority in midfield when Ekitike joins the press. This allows the team to win the ball in dangerous areas and transition into an attack with pace.

This 3-5-2 formation relies on intense pressing and vertical passing to overwhelm the opponent. It is best suited for matches against teams that struggle to play through a high press or those that leave space behind their defensive line.