Italy National Football Team Formation

Starting Lineup

Donnarumma · Leoni · Reggiani · Bastoni · Pelestra · Bartesaghi · Tonali · Ndour · Vergara · Pisilli · Pio Esposito

Italy plays with a 3-4-3 formation. This lineup is built to play a high press and maintain verticality in the transition phases. The goal is to use aggressive movement to disrupt the opponent and push into the final third quickly.

Donnarumma operates as the goalkeeper, acting as the last line of defense. The back three consists of Leoni, Reggiani, and Bastoni. Bastoni plays as a ball playing defender with a wide passing range to help start the build up. Leoni and Reggiani provide cover and remain central to protect the space behind the midfield. This defensive unit stays compact to prevent central penetrations.

The midfield operates with two central players and two wide midfielders. Tonali and Ndour occupy the central spaces to control the tempo. Tonali works to intercept passes and shield the back three, while Ndour helps to drive forward into the half spaces. Bartesaghi and Pelestra act as the wide midfielders, providing the necessary width to stretch the opposition. They must track back to support the defense and overlap to create chances.

The attacking line uses three forwards to pin the opposition back. Pio Esposito leads the line as a lone striker to hold up the ball and occupy the central defenders. Pisilli and Vergara play as wide attackers, looking to cut inside and create goal scoring opportunities. This front three focuses on pressing the opposition ball carriers high up the pitch to force turnovers.

One tactical advantage of this formation is the ability to press high in coordinated waves. The presence of three attackers and two wide midfielders makes it easy to surround opponents in their own half. Another strength is the ability to create wide overloads when Bartesaghi or Pelestra push forward to join the attack. This creates space for the attackers to move between the lines.

Italy relies on an aggressive pressing game and rapid vertical transitions. This formation works best against teams that play a high line or struggle to play out from the back under pressure.