Atalanta Football Formation

Starting Lineup

9 Muriel (11 Lukaku)
24 Lens (20 Jennings)
10 J Montero (17 Depay)
59 Schmid (23 Mackay-Steven)
26 Ebert (22 Gebre-Selassie)
29 Rode (vc) (28 Sylla)
7 Crisetig (8 Baselli (vc))
3 Kirchhoff (C) (5 Tasci)
6 Savic (40 Hubocan)
2 Van Der Hoorn (44 Kjaer)
47 Consigli (12 Zieler)

Atalanta looks to play with high intensity and heavy verticality through a 5-2-3 formation. This lineup focuses on winning the ball back quickly and moving it forward with pace to exploit gaps in the opposition. The team relies on aggressive movement and direct passing to catch opponents off guard.

Consigli sits between the posts to organize the defensive unit. The back five functions as a unit with Kirchhoff, who is the captain, acting as the central anchor in the middle of the defense. Rode, the vice captain, provides stability alongside Crisetig to form a compact block of three central defenders. On the flanks, Van Der Hoorn and Savic act as wing backs who must cover the entire length of the pitch. Van Der Hoorn pushes up to provide width while Savic looks to overlap to support the attack.

The midfield consists of a pair of central players, Schmid and Ebert, working in a double pivot. They must work hard to cover the space in front of the back three and intercept passes before they reach the final third. Schmid and Ebert act as the engine room, where one player often drops deeper to shield the defense while the other looks to drive forward and break the line. They serve as the vital link that connects the defense to the attacking trio.

In the final third, Atalanta uses three attackers to stretch the opposition. Muriel operates as the lone striker, tasked to hold up the ball and bring others into play. On the wings, Lens and J Montero provide width and directness. Lens likes to cut inside to create goalscoring chances, while J Montero uses his pace to run into channels. The front three work together to press high, forcing defenders into mistakes near their own goal.

One major strength of this formation is the ability to press high in coordinated waves, with the front three and midfielders squeezing the opponent. The wing backs, Van Der Hoorn and Savic, create wide overloads that force the opposition to shift constantly. This creates space for the central attackers to exploit. Additionally, the presence of three central defenders gives the team great compactness when they sit deep to defend a lead.

Atalanta uses this 5-2-3 formation to dominate through aggressive pressing and rapid transitions. This system is most effective against teams that try to build play slowly from the back.