Borussia Dortmund Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Hans Tilkowski (🇩🇪) · Jurgen Kohler (🇩🇪) · Mats Hummels (🇩🇪) · Dedé (🇧🇷) · Stefan Reuter (🇩🇪) · Matthias Sammer (🇩🇪) · Andreas Möller (🇩🇪) · Michael Zorc (🇩🇪) · Marco Reus (🇩🇪) · Stephane Chapuisat (🇨🇭) · Lothar Emmerich (🇩🇪)

Borussia Dortmund focuses on a compact style that relies on controlling the middle of the pitch. They play a 4-5-1 formation to squeeze the space in the center and force the opposition to play wide. This lineup is built to sit in a mid-block and wait to break quickly on the transition.

Stephane Chapuisat stays in goal to command his area. The defense uses a flat back four with Michael Zorc and Andreas Möller as the central pair. Michael Zorc is known for his ability to read the game and cover space, while Andreas Möller brings strength in the air. Lothar Emmerich plays as a defensive wing back on the right to protect the flank, while Marco Reus operates as the left back. He will look to overlap to support the midfield when the team wins the ball. The unit works to hold the line and deny through balls.

The midfield consists of a five-man block that dominates the central zone. Matthias Sammer plays as the single pivot to shield the defense, using his high pressing intensity and ability to read play to win it back high up the pitch. Beside him, Jurgen Kohler and Dedé sit in the middle to recycle possession and hold the center. Stefan Reuter plays in the right central role to carry the ball forward, while Mats Hummels acts as an attacking ten. Mats Hummels is known for his passing range and will look to play through the lines to find Hans Tilkowski.

Hans Tilkowski works as the lone striker, tasked to hold up the ball and find the feet of the midfielders. He must pin the last defender to create space. Width comes from the full backs and midfielders. The attack is built through combinations, with Mats Hummels looking to arrive late into the box or play a one-two with the striker. The team looks to hit in behind on the transition once they win the ball.

One major strength of this Borussia Dortmund lineup is the numerical superiority in the center of the park. Having Sammer, Kohler, Dedé, Reuter, and Hummels in the middle makes it very hard for opponents to play through the center. Another advantage is the ability to compress the midfield and force the opposition to play wide. This makes the team very hard to break down when they sit deep.

This 4-5-1 formation is built for a team that wants to control the center of the pitch through numbers. It is best suited for matches against teams that want to keep the ball but struggle to break down a compact midfield.