SL Benfica Football Formation

Starting Lineup

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

SL Benfica aims to play a high press and attack with speed on the transition using a 5-3-2. This formation is built to absorb pressure and then strike quickly through the center or out wide. The lineup relies on a strong defensive foundation to allow the midfielders to push high up the pitch.

Trubin guards the goal as the last line of defense. The defensive unit sits in a back five with Richard Ríos acting as the central defender to hold the line. Antonio Silva operates as the right centre-back while Tomàs Araújo covers the left side. Dedic plays as the right wing back to provide width and overlap the winger, while R. Obrador performs the same role on the left. These wing backs must track back to maintain a narrow defensive block when the opponent has the ball.

The midfield functions as a three-man midfield with a carrier. Sudakov plays as the attacking ten behind the strikers to link the lines and create chances. Dodi Lukebakio and Andreas Schjelderup operate as the two central midfielders who connect the defense to the attack. Lukebakio can drive forward with the ball to support the transition, while Schjelderup works to win the second ball in the middle of the pitch. This group must squeeze the space to prevent the opposition from playing through the lines.

SL Benfica utilizes two forwards in a partnership to lead the attack. Vangelis Pavlidis plays as the left striker to find the feet of the striker and hold up the ball, while Franjo Ivanovic plays as the right striker to make runs in behind. The two wing backs, Dedic and R. Obrador, provide the necessary width to stretch the defense. The team builds play by finding the midfielders before hitting in behind on the transition to catch the opposition out of position.

A major advantage of this lineup is the ability to create wide overloads from overlapping full backs. By having Dedic and R. Obrador push high, the team can overwhelm the opposition flanks. Another strength is the compactness when defending in a back five, which makes it very difficult for opponents to find gaps between the players. This makes the team hard to break down in a low block.

This 5-3-2 formation provides a balance between defensive solidity and rapid counter attacks. It is best suited for matches against teams that hold a lot of possession and leave space behind their defensive line.