Borussia Dortmund Football Formation

Starting Lineup

KOBEL (Meyer) · GADOU (Can) · ANTON (Mane/Reggiani) · SCHLOTTERBECK (Bensebaini) · SVENSSON (Prates) · RYERSON (Fort) · VEERMAN (Sabitzer) · NMECHA (Bellingham/Lerma) · GUIRASSY (Silva) · KONSTANTELIAS (Beier) · KARETSAS (Inacio/Chukwuemeka)

Borussia Dortmund aims to dominate through a high press and rapid verticality using a 3-4-3. This formation is built to stretch the opposition and win the ball back high up the pitch to catch teams out of position. The team looks to control the game by using heavy pressure in the final third and quick transitions to exploit spaces between the lines.

Gregor Kobel operates as the goalkeeper, playing a vital role in sweeping behind a high line when the team pushes forward. The defensive unit functions as a back three with Anton, Schlotterbeck, and Gadou. Schlotterbeck acts as a ball playing defender to start attacks, while Anton and Gadou provide cover and strength to win the second ball. This back line works together to maintain a high defensive line and squeeze the space in the middle of the pitch.

The midfield works in a two man pairing with Svensson on the left and Ryerson on the right acting as wide players. Veerman and Nmecha form the central core to connect the defensive and attacking lines. Veerman serves as a carrier to drive forward with the ball, while Nmecha works to intercept passes and press aggressively to win the ball back. This midfield group must be disciplined to cover the spaces left by the wide players when they push up the pitch.

In the attacking third, Borussia Dortmund utilizes three attackers to pin the last defender. Guirassy acts as the lone striker and target man to hold up the ball and allow others to join the attack. Konstantelias and Karetsas operate as wide wingers who cut inside to create overloads in the half spaces. These attackers are tasked to press from the front and make runs in behind to break the line of the opposition defense.

A major tactical strength of this lineup is the ability to create wide overloads through the movements of Svensson and Ryerson. The team also benefits from numerical superiority in the final third when the wingers cut inside and pull wide defenders out of position. This setup allows for a very high press in coordinated waves, making it difficult for the opponent to play out from the back.

Borussia Dortmund uses this 3-4-3 to overwhelm opponents through intense pressure and quick attacking combinations. It is best suited for games against teams that struggle to play through a high press or those that leave large gaps behind their defensive line.