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Maccabi Tel-Aviv Football Formation

Creation DateSeptember 1, 2025

Starting Lineup

ניקולואסקו · דוידה · דיאנדרה · וארלה · דור פרץ · בליץ · אסנטה · רביבו · קאמרה · היטור · משפתי / ג'ראפי

Maccabi Tel-Aviv looks to dominate matches through a high press and quick transitions within a 4-3-3 formation. This lineup is built to win the ball back high up the pitch and immediately target gaps in the opposition defense. The team relies on verticality to move from a defensive block to an attacking stance with speed.

משפתי / ג'ראפי starts in goal to organize the back line. The defensive unit operates as a flat back four where אסנטה acts as the right back and רביבו covers the left. In the middle, קאמרה and היטור function as the central defenders, with קאמרה providing coverage while היטור focuses on winning headers and clearing the lines. This unit must hold the line and keep the distances between the defenders and the midfield tight to prevent being split by through balls.

The midfield functions with a single pivot and two advanced players. בליץ sits as the holding midfielder to shield the defense and recycle possession. Ahead of him, דור פרץ works as a carrier to drive forward with the ball, while דיאנדרה operates as an attacking ten to create chances and play through the lines. This trio connects the defensive unit to the front three, with בליץ dropping deep to help build play from the back when needed.

In the attacking phase, Maccabi Tel-Aviv utilizes three attackers across the front. וארלה plays as a wide winger on the left to stretch the defense, while דוידה operates on the right as an inverted winger who looks to cut inside and find the feet of the striker. ניקולואסקו leads the line as a pressing centre-forward, looking to pin the last defender and make runs in behind. The goal is to create width through the wingers to allow the midfielders to arrive late into the box.

This formation offers significant advantages through numerical superiority in the central areas when the wingers pull wide. The team can also use its high pressing intensity to trigger a press in the opponent's half, forcing a long ball that the central defenders can intercept. The speed of transition allows the wide players to isolate defenders in one on one situations immediately after winning the ball.

Maccabi Tel-Aviv uses this setup to dictate the tempo and squeeze the space in the middle third. This formation is best suited for facing opponents who try to play out from the back and leave space behind their midfield.