Borussia Dortmund Football Formation

Starting Lineup

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

Borussia Dortmund focuses on a vertical style of play with a high press, utilizing a 3-4-3 formation. The lineup aims to win the ball high up the pitch and quickly hit in behind the opposition defense. This tactical identity relies on heavy pressing and rapid transitions to catch opponents out of position.

Gregor Kobel acts as the goalkeeper, sweeping behind a high line to cover long balls. The back three consists of Anton, Schlotterbeck, and Gadou. Schlotterbeck acts as a ball playing defender to help play out from the back, while Anton and Gadou provide strength to win the second ball and clear the lines. This defensive unit functions by staying compact to squeeze the space between the lines.

The midfield operates as a boxy central unit, featuring a wide duo and two central players. Svensson and Ryerson act as wing backs to provide width, stretching the defence by pushing high up the flank. In the middle, Veerman and Nmecha control the tempo. Veerman looks to progress through the thirds with his passing range, while Nmecha works to press aggressively and win the ball back in the middle third. They connect the defensive unit to the attacking trio by recycling possession and playing short from the back.

The front line utilizes three attackers to pin the last defender. Guirassy plays as a pressing centre-forward, acting to hold up the ball and find the feet of the striker in combinations. On the wings, Konstantelias and Karetsas operate as inverted wingers who cut inside to create chaos in the half spaces. This setup is designed to create runs in behind and allow the wing backs to overlap the winger. The attack moves from a high press into quick combinations to split the defence with a through ball.

Borussia Dortmund offers several tactical advantages with this lineup. The team can create wide overloads from overlapping full backs when Svensson and Ryerson push forward. They also possess the ability to press high in coordinated waves, making it difficult for opponents to build out from the back. This setup allows for a quick speed of transition once the ball is intercepted.

This 3-4-3 formation is built to dominate through intense pressing and quick vertical movements. It is best suited for games against teams that struggle to play out from a high press or leave space behind their defensive line.