Real Madrid Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Mbappé · B. Silva · Vinicius Jr · Valverde · Bellingham · Tchouameni · Camavinga · T. Alexander · Carreras · Militão · Courtois

Real Madrid looks to strike quickly and punish teams on the transition. This verticality defines their game within a 5-2-3 formation. Los Blancos aim to use the width of the pitch to stretch the defence before hitting them with pace.

Courtois protects the goal with his immense reach and shot stopping. The back line operates as a back five to keep the team compact. Tchouameni holds the middle as the central defender to win the second ball. Militão and Carreras play as the side centre backs, where Militão uses his pace and aerial strength to cover the space. Camavinga and T. Alexander act as attacking wing backs, pushing high to provide width while they track back to support the defensive block.

The midfield functions as a double pivot involving Valverde and Bellingham. Valverde uses his high work rate to drive forward with the ball and cover ground to press in a mid block. Bellingham works as a carrier who makes late runs into the box to score. This pair must work to shield the defence and win possession back high up the pitch. They link the defensive unit to the front three by playing through the lines and recycling possession.

The front line consists of three attackers who stay high to pin the last defender. Mbappé plays as a central striker using his pace and finishing to threaten the goal. On the wings, Vinicius Jr acts as an inverted winger who cuts inside to use his dribbling and acceleration. B. Silva provides width on the right side to help with the build up. The team attacks in transition, looking to hit in behind on the transition through combinations between the wingers and the striker.

A major advantage of this formation is the ability to create wide overloads from the overlapping wing backs. When Camavinga and T. Alexander push up, they create numerical superiority against the opposition full backs. The team also benefits from speed of transition, moving from a defensive block to an attacking wave in seconds. This allows them to isolate wide players in one on one situations.

This formation allows Real Madrid to remain defensively solid while being lethal on the counter. It is best suited for games against teams that play a high line and leave space behind their defence.