Union Berlin Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Josip Juranovic · Carl Klaus · Zeno Van Den Bosch · Leopold Querfeld · Derrick Köhn · Aljoscha Kemlein · Rani Khedira · Livan Burcu · Woo-Yeong Jeong · Emmanuel Latte Lath · Andrej Ilic

Union Berlin favors a direct, high intensity style of play built around a 2-4-4 formation. This lineup aims to overwhelm opponents with sudden verticality and constant pressure on the opposition back line. By concentrating numbers in the middle and front, the team looks to force errors and hit in behind on the transition.

Carl Klaus stays between the posts to organize the defensive line. The defensive unit consists of a narrow back two with Leopold Querfeld and Zeno Van Den Bosch acting as the central defenders. These two must hold the line and stay compact to avoid being split by through balls. Because there are no full backs in this lineup, Querfeld and Van Den Bosch often have to cover large spaces to stop runners. They must be ready to step up to catch attackers offside or drop deep to cover long balls.

The midfield functions as a four man block designed to control the center of the pitch. Aljoscha Kemlein and Rani Khedira operate in the middle to connect the defense to the attack. Rani Khedira acts as an attacking ten behind the strikers to find pockets of space. Derrick Köhn and Josip Juranovic occupy the central midfield roles to provide width and support the transition. Köhn and Juranovic help to squeeze the space in a mid-block and are tasked to win the second ball to keep the pressure high.

The attacking unit is built on a heavy front four to stretch the defense. Emmanuel Latte Lath and Andrej Ilic work as a partnership of two forwards. Latte Lath acts as a presence to hold up the ball while Ilic looks to make runs in behind. Livan Burcu and Woo Yeong Jeong play as wide wingers who stay high to pin the last defender. This setup allows the team to attack in combinations and use the width provided by the wingers to create crossing opportunities.

Union Berlin gains a massive advantage through numerical superiority in the attacking third. The heavy presence of four forwards makes it difficult for a back four to defend single on single situations. The team also benefits from the ability to press from the front in coordinated waves. When the ball is lost, the midfield and forwards immediately trigger a press to win it back high up the pitch.

This 2-4-4 formation is designed for a high risk, high reward attacking game. It is best suited for matches where the opponent plays a high line and can be punished with speed.