Alavés Football Formation

Starting Lineup

JESÚS (OWONO) · HUGO (NOVOA) · VILLE (KOSKI) · XANET (OLÁIZ) · YOUSSEF (ENRÍQUEZ) · CARLOS (PROTESONI) · ANDER (GUEVARA) · ABDE (REBBACH) · ÁNGEL (PÉREZ) · AITOR (MAÑAS) · MARIANO (DÍAZ)

Alavés favors a high intensity, direct style of football through a 4-2-4 formation. This lineup is built to press hard in the opposition half and use speed to hit in behind on the transition. By pushing players high, the team looks to win the ball back high up the pitch and force mistakes in dangerous areas.

JESÚS starts between the posts to organize the back line. A flat back four provides the foundation, with HUGO acting as a right back to support the wide areas. YOUSSEF plays at left back, ready to overlap or drop to cover the space behind the high line. In the middle, VILLE and XANET act as the central defenders, with VILLE focusing on being dominant in the air and XANET working to cover his partner. The defensive unit works to stay compact and squeeze the space between the lines to deny the turn to opponents.

The midfield operates as a double pivot to provide a screen for the defence. ANDER and CARLOS occupy the central roles, acting as the engine that connects the defence and attack. ANDER works to shield the defence and win the second ball, while CARLOS looks to carry the ball forward and drive into space. This pair must be disciplined to prevent being bypassed by the opposition, as they are the only two players sitting in front of the back four.

Alavés employs a heavy attacking presence with four players across the front. ABDE and ÁNGEL act as wide wingers who stay wide to stretch the defence, while ABDE looks to cut inside to create threats. AITOR and MARIANO lead the line as a two-man forward partnership. AITOR acts as a pressing centre-forward to harass the opposition back line, while MARIANO focuses on finding the feet of the striker and playing hold up the ball to allow others to arrive late into the box.

This formation offers the advantage of extreme width and verticality. By using four attackers, Alavés creates many one on one situations for ÁNGEL and ABDE. The team also gains numerical superiority in the final third, which allows them to overwhelm the opposition box during attacking phases. The direct nature of the play means they can quickly transition from a mid-block into a goal-scoring threat.

The 4-2-4 formation provides a high-risk, high-reward identity centered on offensive pressure. This setup is best suited for games where Alavés needs to chase a result or face an opponent that struggles to defend deep.