FCSB Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Târnovanu · Cercel · Ngezana · M. Popescu · Radunovic · Șut · Olaru · Cisotti · Politic · Chiricheș · Bîrligea

FCSB looks to win the ball back high up the pitch through a heavy press, operating primarily within a 5-2-3 formation. This lineup is built to control the game by using wide areas to stretch the opposition while maintaining a solid base to prevent counter attacks. The team seeks to dominate territory by pushing their wide players high to support the front three.

Târnovanu acts as the last line of defense in goal, overseeing a back five that can shift between a narrow block and a wider stance. Chiricheș leads the central defense, using his experience to organize the line and step up to intercept passes. Beside him, M. Popescu and Ngezana provide coverage, with Ngezana using his aerial strength to win headers in the box. Radunovic and Cercel act as attacking wing backs, tasked with pushing up the flanks to provide width. They must track back quickly to defend the wide areas when possession is lost, ensuring the back five stays compact.

The midfield works as a double pivot to provide stability in the center of the pitch. Olaru connects the defensive and attacking lines, often dropping deep to help build play from the back. He is joined by Șut, who acts as a carrier to move the ball from the defensive third into the final third. This pairing is responsible for protecting the space in front of the center backs and ensuring the team does not get overrun in central areas. They must work to squeeze the space between the lines to prevent opponents from turning between the midfield and the defense.

In the attacking phase, the front three look to create chances through quick combinations. Bîrligea acts as the central striker, working to hold up the ball and link up with his teammates. Politic and Cisotti occupy the wide positions, with Politic often looking to cut inside to create overloads in the half spaces. These wingers press the opposition back line aggressively to force long balls. The formation is designed to create runs in behind and allow the wing backs to overlap the wide attackers, creating two on one situations against the opposition full backs.

FCSB finds success through wide overloads and the ability to transition quickly once the ball is won. The presence of attacking wing backs like Radunovic allows the team to pin the last defender and stretch the defense horizontally. This setup also provides compactness when defending, as the five defenders can sit deep and narrow to deny central penetration. The ability to switch play quickly between the wingers and the wing backs makes them difficult to track.

This 5-2-3 formation provides a strong balance between defensive security and wide attacking threat. It is best suited for games where the team needs to exploit space on the flanks against a compact opponent.