Custom Team Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Walter Zenga (S.Rossi) (Empoli) · Mauro Tassotti (C.Gentile) (Milan) · Gaetano Scirea (D.Passarella) (Juventus) · Antonio Cabrini (Ruud Krol) (Juventus) · Franco Baresi (K.H.Schnellinger) (Milan) · Ruud Gullit (C.Dunga) (Milan) · Marco Tardelli (P.R.Falcão) (Juventus) · Diego Maradona (K.H.Rummenigge) (Napoli) · Michel Platini (A.Zico) (Juventus) · Bruno Conti (Michael Laudrup) (Roma) · Alessandro Altobelli (Z.Boniek) (Inter)

This team relies on a heavy high press and rapid verticality through a 3-4-3 formation. The lineup is built to win the ball high up the pitch and immediately exploit the spaces left behind the opposition defensive line. Every player in this system is expected to contribute to a high intensity game where territory is contested aggressively.

Alessandro Altobelli guards the goal as the last line of defense. The defensive unit operates as a back three, featuring Diego Maradona as the left centre-back and Bruno Conti as the right centre-back. Michel Platini acts as the central defender to hold the line and organize the unit. This back three is designed to play out from the back and squeeze the space between the lines. Maradona and Conti provide the width in this defensive unit to cover the flanks when the midfield is bypassed.

The midfield operates with a double pivot consisting of Marco Tardelli and Ruud Gullit. Gullit provides immense physical presence and ability to carry the ball forward through the middle, while Tardelli works to shield the defense and intercept passes. Antonio Cabrini and Mauro Tassotti act as the wide midfielders, pushing high to provide width and stretch the defense. Cabrini and Tassotti are tasked with tracking back to support the back three while also looking to overlap to create numbers in the final third.

The attacking front line uses three attackers to pin the opposition back. Walter Zenga plays as a pressing centre-forward to lead the line and harass the goalkeeper. Gaetano Scirea and Franco Baresi operate as wide attackers, with Scirea playing on the left and Baresi on the right. They are tasked to cut inside to create central overloads or pull wide to deliver crosses. This front three works to press from the front and force long balls from the opposition.

This formation offers the advantage of immense physical presence and ability to press high in coordinated waves. The presence of Gullit and Tardelli allows the team to win the second ball in the middle of the park. Another strength is the ability to create wide overloads when Cabrini and Tassotti join the attack, forcing the opposition to defend large areas of the pitch. The team can quickly transition from a defensive block to an attacking threat.

The 3-4-3 formation focuses on aggression and winning the ball back in advanced areas. It is best suited for games against teams that try to play out from the back and leave space behind their midfield.