Borussia Dortmund Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Fabio Silva · Maximilian Beier · Giannis Konstantelias · Julian Ryerson · Daniel Svensson · Joey Veerman · Felix Nmecha · Ramy Bensebaini · Waldemar Anton · Joane Gadou · Gregor Kobel

Borussia Dortmund seeks to dominate through a high press and verticality using a 3-4-3 formation. This lineup is built to win the ball back high up the pitch and strike quickly once the turnover occurs. The team aims to stretch the defence by using wide players to create space for runners in behind.

Gregor Kobel acts as the goalkeeper, providing a reliable presence behind a back three. Waldemar Anton operates as the central defender, focusing on holding the line and commanding the area. Ramy Bensebaini plays as the left centre-back, using his ability to cover space and step up to intercept play, while Joane Gadou occupies the right centre-back role to ensure the defensive unit stays compact. The defenders work together to squeeze the space and prevent opponents from playing through the lines.

The midfield functions as a central block where Felix Nmecha and Joey Veerman operate in a double pivot. Joey Veerman acts as a playmaker who can pass through the lines, while Felix Nmecha helps to press aggressively to win the ball back high up the pitch. On the flanks, Daniel Svensson and Julian Ryerson play as wide midfielders who provide much needed width. They are expected to track back to support the defence and overlap the wingers when the team builds from the back.

Up front, Borussia Dortmund uses three attackers to pin the last defender. Giannis Konstantelias and Maximilian Beier play as inverted wingers, looking to cut inside and find pockets of space. Fabio Silva leads the line as a pressing centre-forward, tasked to hold up the ball and link up play between the lines. This attacking trio works to force the opposition into mistakes by pressing from the front and making runs in behind.

This formation offers several tactical advantages, particularly the ability to press high in coordinated waves. By using a back three and two wide midfielders, the team can create wide overloads to overwhelm the opponent. The setup also allows for great speed of transition when the midfield recovers the ball and immediately finds the front three.

Borussia Dortmund utilizes this 3-4-3 to maintain high intensity and control the tempo through aggressive ball recovery. This formation is best suited for matches against teams that struggle to play out from the back under pressure.