Atalanta Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Carnesecchi · Kossounou · Hien · Djimsiti · Zappacosta - 55% (Bellanova - 45%) · Musah · De Roon · Zalewski · Lookman - 55% (Sulemana - 45%) · Pasalic · Maldini - 55% (Krstovic - 45%)

Atalanta looks to play a high press and heavy attacking game using a 3-4-3 formation. This lineup focuses on winning the ball high up the pitch and using verticality to punish opponents. The intent is to keep the ball in the final third and use constant movement to break down a defensive block.

Carnesecchi plays between the posts to start the build up from the back. The defensive unit operates with a back three consisting of Djimsiti, Hien, and Kossounou. Djimsiti and Kossounou act as wide centre-backs to cover the channels, while Hien anchors the middle. This trio is tasked to hold a high line and step up to intercept passes, which leaves them to cover large amounts of space behind them.

The midfield functions as a central engine room using a double pivot. De Roon sits deeper to shield the defence and win the second ball, while Musah acts as a carrier to drive the ball forward. The wide midfielders, Zappacosta and Zalewski, act as attacking wing backs who provide width and overlap the attackers. They are responsible for tracking back to help the back three when the team loses possession.

In the attacking phase, Atalanta uses three attackers to stretch the defence. Maldini acts as the lone striker to lead the line, while Pasalic and Lookman play as wide attackers. Pasalic and Lookman often cut inside to create central overloads, leaving space for Zappacosta and Zalewski to bomb forward. These players press the opposition back line aggressively to force turnovers near the goal.

One major strength of this Atalanta lineup is the ability to press high in coordinated waves. The combination of the front three and the wing backs makes it difficult for opponents to play out from the back. Additionally, the team creates wide overloads that force the opposition to shift constantly, opening gaps in the middle for Musah or De Roon to exploit.

This 3-4-3 formation is built to overwhelm opponents through aggressive pressing and width. It is best suited for games where the team can pin the opposition in their own half and exploit space on the transition.