Custom Team Football Formation

Starting Lineup

1 PANFILI 07
2 CARVALHO
5 TROVATO
3 SAMANE 07
6 PUGLISI
4 MUDASIRU
10 GONZALEZ (SX)
8 PAPASERIO
7 BAMBA
11 BALDEH
9 PASSEWE (176 DX)

Prioritizing defensive solidity and quick transitions, this team operates in a 5-2-3 formation. The lineup is designed to sit deep and absorb pressure before catching opponents on the break. This system relies on heavy defensive numbers to prevent central penetration and uses wide players to stretch the pitch during attacks.

Panfili guards the goal as the last line of defense. The back five features Mudasiru as the central defender to anchor the unit. Trovato acts as the right centre-back to provide cover, while Puglisi sits on the left of the central trio. The wing backs, Carvalho on the right and Samane on the left, are tasked with providing width. They must track back to form a narrow defensive block when out of possession but are expected to push high to support the attack.

The midfield functions as a double pivot to protect the back five. Gonzalez and Papaserio sit in the center to shield the defense and win the second ball. Gonzalez works to carry the ball forward to link the lines, while Papaserio focuses on intercepting passes and recycling possession. This duo must work hard to cover the space between the midfield and the defensive line to prevent the opposition from playing through the lines.

The attack uses three players across the front to pressure the opposition back line. Baldeh leads the line as a lone striker, tasked to hold up the ball and find the feet of his teammates. Passewe and Bamba act as wide wingers, with Passewe operating on the left and Bamba on the right. They often cut inside to create central presence or stay wide to receive long balls. This movement creates space for Samane and Carvalho to overlap the winger and deliver crosses into the box.

A major strength of this formation is the ability to maintain compactness when defending in a low block. The presence of five defenders makes it very hard for opponents to find gaps in the middle. Another advantage is the speed of transition when the team wins the ball high up the pitch or in the middle third. The wide players can quickly spread wide to exploit the space left by attacking opponents.

This 5-2-3 formation is built for teams that want to be difficult to break down. It is best suited for matches against dominant sides where the goal is to defend deep and hit on the break.