SL Benfica Football Formation

Starting Lineup

1. Anatoliy Trubin (S. Soares / D. Ferreira)
17. Dedic (Bah / L. Santos)
4. Antonio Silva (Tomàs Araújo)
30. Otanendi (G. Oliveira / J. Wynder)
26. Dahl (Rafael Obrador)
5. Enzo Barrenechea (Richard Rìos / Manu Silva)
25. Gianluca Prestianni (D. Lukebakio / R. Rego)
10. Sudakov (J. Rego / Gonçalo Moreira)
21. Andreas Schjelderup (Bruma / Ivan Lima)
9. Franjo Ivanović
14. Vangelis Pavlidis (Henrique Araújo)

Focusing on a heavy defensive block and rapid breaks, SL Benfica utilizes a 5-3-2 formation. This lineup seeks to absorb pressure before launching vertical attacks through the middle and wide channels. The team relies on a compact unit to congest the central areas, making it difficult for opponents to find passing lanes between the lines.

Anatoliy Trubin starts between the posts to organize the back five. A central trio consisting of Enzo Barrenechea, Otanendi, and Antonio Silva provides a deep base to defend the penalty area. Antonio Silva uses his ability to intercept passes and his strength in duels to clear danger, while Enzo Barrenechea and Otanendi cover the space behind the wing backs. Dedic and Dahl operate as wide defenders, tasked with tracking back to form a flat line when defending deep, but they also push up to provide width in the final third.

The midfield operates as a three man unit to control the center of the pitch. Sudakov plays as the central figure, sitting deep to shield the back line and break the line with his passing range. To his sides, Andreas Schjelderup and Gianluca Prestianni occupy the half spaces to connect the defense to the attack. Schjelderup and Prestianni move between the lines to receive the ball, while Sudakov helps the defenders recycle possession. This group must work together to press the opposition and prevent them from turning in the middle.

In the attacking phase, SL Benfica employs two forwards to stretch the opposition defense. Vangelis Pavlidis and Franjo Ivanović operate as a pair, with Pavlidis acting as the focal point to hold up the ball and bring others into play. The movement of Pavlidis and Franjo Ivanović creates space for the wide wing backs, Dedic and Dahl, to overlap and deliver crosses into the box. The two attackers also lead the first wave of the press to force mistakes high up the pitch.

This formation offers significant defensive stability due to the numerical advantage in the central area. The presence of three central defenders makes it very hard for teams to break through the middle. Additionally, the wing backs allow for wide overloads, which helps the team switch play quickly to catch the opposition out of position. The ability to transition from a deep block to a direct attack with Pavlidis and Franjo Ivanović makes this lineup dangerous on the break.

SL Benfica uses this setup to remain compact and difficult to break down. This 5-3-2 is best suited for matches against teams that dominate possession and require a solid foundation to launch counter attacks.