RB Leipzig Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Romulo · Nusa · Vermeeren · Seiwald · Gruda · Baumgartner · Raum · Lukeba · Orban · Geertruida · Vandevoordt

RB Leipzig plays with a high press and rapid verticality in this 2-5-3 formation. This lineup aims to win the ball high up the pitch to catch opponents out of position. The team seeks to control the middle areas while using extreme width in the attacking phase to stretch the opposition.

Vandevoordt starts between the posts to play out from the back. The defensive unit uses a narrow back two consisting of Lukeba and Orban. Lukeba acts as a ball playing defender to progress the ball, while Orban provides aerial strength and covers the space behind him. Because there are only two central defenders, the rest of the team must squeeze the space to prevent long balls from bypassing the high line.

The midfield is a dense five man unit that controls the center of the pitch. Raum sits in the left central role to act as an attacking wing back, while Geertruida plays in the right central role to provide balance and track back. Vermeeren and Seiwald form a double pivot to protect the two defenders and win the second ball. Baumgartner plays as an attacking ten behind the striker to connect the lines and find pockets of space between the opposition midfield and defense.

RB Leipzig uses three attackers to pin the last defender. Romulo operates as a lone striker to hold up the ball and lead the press from the front. Nusa plays as an inverted winger on the left to cut inside and create chances, while Gruda operates on the right to provide width. This front three works to force the opposition into wide areas or force a long ball. The wingers often pull wide to create space for Baumgartner to arrive late into the box.

One main advantage of this formation is the ability to create wide overloads when Raum and Geertruida push forward to join the attackers. The team also gains numerical superiority in midfield through the heavy presence of Vermeeren, Seiwald, and Baumgartner. This allows RB Leipzig to recycle possession quickly and transition at pace when they win the ball back in high areas.

This formation is built for teams that want to dominate through aggressive pressing and rapid transitions. It is best suited for games where the opponent struggles to play out from the back under pressure.