SL Benfica Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Trubin (S. Soares / D. Ferreira) · Dedic (Bah / L. Santos) · Antonio Silva (G. Oliveira / Wynder) · Tomàs Araújo (Otamendi) · R. Obrador (Dahl) · Fredrik Aursnes (L. Barreiro / J. Veloso) · Richard Ríos (Enzo Barrenechea / Manu) · Sudakov (J. Rego / Gonçalo Moreira) · Dodi Lukebakio (G. Prestianni) · Andreas Schjelderup (Bruma) · Pavlidis (F. Ivanovic / H. Araújo)

SL Benfica aims for a vertical and high pressing identity. This team uses a 4-2-4 formation to dominate the attacking third. The lineup is built to win the ball back high up the pitch and attack with speed through the channels to catch the defence off guard.

Trubin stays in goal to manage the defence and command his area. The back line works as a flat back four. Dedic plays as the right back to provide width, while R. Obrador acts as the left back. Antonio Silva functions as a ball playing defender with great recovery speed, and Tomàs Araújo provides stability to the central pairing. The unit tries to hold a high line to squeeze the space and win the ball back quickly.

The midfield works as a double pivot. Richard Ríos and Fredrik Aursnes are tasked with controlling the center. Richard Ríos drives forward with the ball to break the line, while Fredrik Aursnes helps to connect the defensive and attacking lines. These two must work hard to cover the spaces left behind the advanced front four and win the second ball. They provide the necessary link to move the ball from the defence to the attackers and recycle possession when needed.

In the attacking third, the team uses four players. Andreas Schjelderup and Dodi Lukebakio act as wide wingers who stretch the defence by staying wide. Pavlidis works as a striker to hold up the ball, and Sudakov plays as a second striker in the hole to find the feet of the striker. This formation is designed to create runs in behind and use the width to provide many options for a cross or a cutback from the byline.

A primary strength of this SL Benfica lineup is the ability to press high in coordinated waves. Having four attackers allows the team to pin the last defender and force a long ball. Additionally, the team benefits from a high speed of transition. When the ball is won, the wingers can quickly move to isolate wide players in one on one situations. The team can also switch play quickly to exploit the far post.

The 4-2-4 formation is a high risk, high reward system centered on aggressive pressing. It is most effective when facing opponents that try to play short from the back and struggle under heavy pressure in their own half.