Athlético Paranaense Football Formation

Starting Lineup

23- Santos
29- G. Benavídez
4- Diego Costa*
37- L. Esquivel
2- Lucas Rosa*
8- J. Portilla*
5- Felipinho
17- S. Mendoza
10- B. Zapelli
11- Ronald*
9- K. Viveros

Athlético Paranaense looks to control the tempo through high pressing and quick transitions in a 3-5-2. This formation relies on aggressive ball winning and rapid vertical movement to catch opponents off guard. The team seeks to dominate the middle of the pitch and use their central numbers to break lines through direct passing.

Santos acts as the last line of defense for Athlético Paranaense. The back three consists of Diego Costa (C) who leads the unit as a dominant presence in the air, supported by L. Esquivel and G. Benavídez. Diego Costa (C) stays central to command the line while Esquivel and Benavídez cover the wider channels to prevent crosses. The defensive unit works as a tight block to deny space between the lines.

The midfield works through a combination of a central trio and an attacking ten. J. Portilla and Felipinho occupy the central roles to shield the defense and connect the back three to the attack. B. Zapelli operates as the attacking ten to find pockets of space and create chances. The wide midfielders Lucas Rosa and S. Mendoza provide width and are tasked to track back when defending and push up to support the attack.

In the final third, the team utilizes two forwards to stretch the opposition. K. Viveros and Ronald lead the line as a striking duo. K. Viveros plays as the left striker to hold up the ball while Ronald operates as the right striker to make runs behind the defense. The movement of these two players creates space for B. Zapelli to drive into the box and for the wide players to deliver crosses.

This formation offers several tactical advantages such as control over the central area of the pitch. By having J. Portilla and Felipinho alongside B. Zapelli, the team can often create a numerical superiority in the middle. The wingers Lucas Rosa and S. Mendoza also allow for wide overloads when they push high to support the strikers. This setup makes the team very hard to play through centrally.

Athlético Paranaense uses this 3-5-2 to dominate the midfield and punish teams on the break. This lineup is best suited for matches where the opponent plays a wide formation that can be countered in the channels.