Como Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Como focus on a heavy high press and rapid verticality using a 2-5-3 formation. This lineup seeks to overwhelm opponents in their own half by squeezing the space and pushing the defensive line extremely high. The goal is to win it back high up the pitch and exploit the gaps left by teams trying to play out from the back.

Butez acts as a sweeper keeper to manage the massive space behind the defenders. The back line consists of only two central defenders, Van der Brempt and Ramón, who must hold a high line to keep the team compact. These two act as ball playing defenders to start attacks, while also needing to be ready to cover for any long balls played into the channels. Because there are no full backs, they must be prepared to defend man to man or drop into a narrow defensive block when the team loses possession.

The midfield is the engine of Como, operating in a five man unit to control the center of the pitch. Couto and Valle form a double pivot to shield the two defenders, with Couto acting as a carrier to drive forward with the ball. Ricci and Perrone operate as two inverted eights who occupy the half spaces to link the defensive and attacking lines. Paz plays as an attacking ten behind the striker, tasked to find the feet of the striker or play through the lines to break the opposition block.

In the final third, the team uses three attackers to stretch the defence. Baturina and Da Cunha act as wide wingers who hug the touchline to provide width, creating space for the central players. Douvikas plays as a pressing centre forward, constantly looking to pin the last defender and run in behind. The attacking unit works in combinations, using the width provided by the wingers to deliver crosses or to create situations where they can cut inside and attack the far post.

A primary tactical strength of this Como formation is the ability to create numerical superiority in the central midfield areas. By packing the middle with five players, they can easily win the second ball and dominate possession in the middle third. Another advantage is the high press, where Baturina, Da Cunha, and Douvikas trigger a press from the front to force a long ball from the opposition.

This formation is built for total dominance and aggressive ball recovery in the opponent half. It is best suited for matches against teams that struggle to play under pressure or those that lack the speed to exploit the space behind a high line.