Borussia Dortmund Football Formation

Starting Lineup

ALEXANDER (MEYER) · FILIPPO (MANÉ) · EMRE (CAN) · RAMY (BENSEBAINI) · CARNEY (CHUKWUEMEKA) · KAUÃ (PRATES) · JOEY (VEERMAN) · MARCEL (SABITZER) · ETHAN (NWANERI) · MAXIMILIAN (BEIER) · FÁBIO (SILVA)

Borussia Dortmund focuses on high intensity and heavy pressing through a 3-5-2 formation. This lineup is built to win the ball back high up the pitch and use quick verticality to punish opponents. The team aims to control the central areas of the pitch while using wide players to stretch the defense during transitions.

Alexander stays between the posts to organize the back line. The defensive unit operates with a back three consisting of Ramy as the left centre-back, Emre in the middle, and Filippo as the right centre-back. Ramy and Filippo act as wide centre-backs who can cover the space when the wing backs push high. Emre holds the line and acts as a central anchor to sweep behind the others. The entire unit maintains a high line to squeeze the space and keep the team compact.

The midfield uses a five man system to dominate the center. Ethan plays as an attacking ten behind the strikers to connect the lines and find pockets of space. In front of him, Joey and Marcel work as a double pivot to shield the defense and progress through the thirds. Joey and Marcel help recycle possession and win the second ball in the middle. To provide width, Kauã and Carney act as wing backs who must cover the entire flank, overlapping to provide crosses and tracking back to support the defenders.

The attack utilizes two forwards in a partnership to keep the opposition defense pinned. Maximilian and Fábio work together to press the opposition back line from the front. Maximilian often drops deep to link up play, while Fábio looks to run in behind the defenders. The formation creates chances through combinations in tight spaces and through balls played by Ethan. The wing backs, Kauã and Carney, frequently deliver crosses to the near post or far post to catch the defense off guard.

Borussia Dortmund gains a major advantage through numerical superiority in the central midfield areas. The presence of Joey, Marcel, and Ethan allows the team to control the tempo and bypass the midfield of the opponent. Another strength is the ability to create wide overloads when the wing backs join the attackers, forcing the opposition to defend in much larger areas.

This 3-5-2 formation is designed for a high pressing game that relies on winning the ball quickly. It is best suited for matches against teams that try to build play slowly from the back.