RB Salzburg Football Formation

Starting Lineup

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

RB Salzburg focuses on extreme aggression and verticality in their play. This team utilizes a 2-6-2 formation to dominate the middle of the pitch. The lineup is built to press from the front and win the ball high up the pitch to catch opponents out of position before they can settle.

Schlager acts as the lone goalkeeper behind a very narrow back two. Rasmussen and Gadou operate as the central defenders in a high line. Because there are only two defenders, they must step up together to catch runners and cover wide areas. They need to be fast to recover when the opposition hits in behind. They defend zonally to maintain the high line and trigger a press.

The midfield is a massive unit of six players that connects the defense to the attack. A deep layer of Krätzig, Lainer, and Gourna-Douath works to shield the back two and recycle possession. Krätzig and Lainer sit deep to deny the turn of attacking midfielders, while Gourna-Douath drives forward to carry the ball. Ahead of them, Kjærgaard, Bidstrup, and Kitano occupy the half-spaces to create chances. Kjærgaard and Bidstrup make late runs into the box, while Kitano stays central to link play and play through the lines.

The attack features two forwards in a partnership. Vertessen and Ratkov lead the line as a pressing pair. They press the opposition back line to force a long ball and win the second ball. This duo works to isolate defenders in one on one situations or play a one-two to split the defence with a through ball. They push high to pin the last defender, allowing the midfielders to arrive late into the box.

One main strength of this formation is the numerical superiority in midfield. With six players, RB Salzburg can easily overload the center and compress the midfield to win the ball back quickly. The team also uses coordinated waves to press, making it very hard for opponents to build out from the back. This creates constant pressure and forces errors in dangerous areas.

This formation is a high-intensity system for total dominance. It is best suited for matches where the team can afford to take risks to win the ball back high up the pitch.