Lyon Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Abdi (Tzimas/Poyraz) · Varela (Isek/Suslov) · Tel (Diaz/Kapidzic) · Pukstas (Pajovic/Lafleur) · Doué (Nypan) · Gourna-Douath (Thuram) · Gomez (Pinto) · Supriyono (Mokio) · Youte (Torres) · Trabelsi (Azevedo) · Solano (Bartu)

Lyon intends to play a high press game through a 4-3-3 formation. The goal is to win the ball back high up the pitch to attack quickly. This lineup focuses on a vertical style of play where the team moves forward as soon as they regain possession.

Trabelsi stays in goal to lead the defensive unit. The defense operates in a flat back four to keep the team compact. Gomez plays as a right back to provide width and overlap the winger. Solano acts as a left back to help push the team up the pitch. In the center, Supriyono and Youte form the heart of the defense. They must defend zonally and cover the space if the full backs move forward. Supriyono and Youte need to be ready to clear the lines and win the header during set pieces.

The midfield uses a single pivot to manage the center of the pitch. Gourna-Douath plays as the deep lying playmaker to shield the defense and sit in front of the center backs. He works to intercept passes and recycle possession. Pukstas and Doué act as the two central midfielders to connect the lines. Pukstas can drive forward with the ball to break the line, while Doué works to press in a mid block. This group of three aims to compress the midfield and win the second ball.

The attack uses three players across the front. Abdi acts as a lone striker to lead the press and find the feet of teammates in tight spaces. Tel plays as an inverted winger on the left to cut inside and find space for Solano to overlap. Varela stays wide on the right to stretch the defence and get to the byline. When the team wins the ball, they look to hit in behind on the transition. The wingers will often whip it in or cut it back to find Abdi in the box.

This formation offers several tactical advantages. The team can press high in coordinated waves to force the opponent into errors. By having Pukstas and Doué move forward, Lyon can create numerical superiority in midfield. The movement of Gomez and Solano also allows the team to create wide overloads. These movements help to pull wide the opposition defenders and create gaps in the middle.

This 4-3-3 formation is built on high intensity and rapid transitions. It works best against teams that try to play short from the back and leave space behind their midfield.