Freiburg Football Formation

Starting Lineup

BACKHAUS (Müller) · TREU (Kübler) · GINTER (Ogbus) · LIENHART (Rosenfelder/Jung) · GÜNTER (Makengo/Yilmaz) · EGGESTEIN (Yamamoto) · ENGELHARDT (Osterhage) · MATANOVIC (Goto/Höler) · BESTE (Irie) · GRIFO (Scherhant) · SUZUKI (Ben Farhat)

Freiburg focuses on a compact and defensive identity, utilizing a 5-4-1 formation to frustrate opponents. This lineup is built to sit deep and wait for the right moment to hit in behind on the transition. The goal is to deny space in the central areas and force the opposition to play around the perimeter, making the team very difficult to break down through the middle.

MATANOVIC acts as the last line of defense in goal. The defensive unit operates in a back five with SUZUKI, EGGESTEIN, and ENGELHARDT forming a central block. SUZUKI provides stability while ENGELHARDT and EGGESTEIN work to cover the space behind them. The wing backs, BESTE on the left and GRIFO on the right, act as the primary source of width. They are tasked to track back to form a flat five when defending deep, but they are also expected to push up the pitch to support the transition.

The midfield works in a flat four to shield the back line and control the center of the pitch. LIENHART and GINTER form a central pairing where GINTER works to win the second ball and LIENHART looks to connect the defensive and attacking lines. On the flanks, GÜNTER and TREU provide width and defensive cover. They must tuck in to help the central midfielders and squeeze the space when the team sits in a mid-block. This unit works together to press in pairs and prevent the opponent from playing through the lines.

In the attacking phase, BACKHAUS plays as a lone striker. He acts as a target man to hold up the ball and allow the midfield and wing backs to move forward. The team builds attacks by using the width provided by BESTE and GRIFO, who look to get to the byline and whip it in. BACKHAUS must press the opposition back line to force a long ball and create opportunities for the team to win the ball back high up the pitch. The movement relies on quick combinations to exploit gaps in the opposition defense during a break.

Freiburg gains a significant advantage through their compactness when defending in a low block. The five defenders and four midfielders make it very hard for opponents to find passing lanes through the middle. Another strength is the ability to use the wing backs to create wide overloads once the team wins the ball. This allows for quick switches of play to catch the opposition off balance.

This 5-4-1 formation is designed for a team that wants to be defensively solid and rely on quick counters. It is best suited for matches against teams that dominate possession and allow Freiburg to sit deep and defend zonally.