Custom Team Football Formation

Starting Lineup

YASHIN (1) (Lev (c)) (Arsenal) · ZAMBROTTA (Gianluca) (Juventus) · PERFUMO (Roberto) (Cruzeiro) · PIRLO (Andrea) (Juventus) · BAGGIO (Roberto) (Juventus) · SHEVCHENKO (Andriy) (Milan) · SASTRE (Antonio) (Independiente) · MATTHÄUS (Lothar) (Inter) · RIJKAARD (Frank) (Milan) · PASSARELLA (Alberto) (River) · FACCHETTI (Giacinto) (Inter)

A high press and verticality define the core of this lineup, which utilizes a 5-3-2 formation. This team seeks to win the ball high up the pitch and break quickly to catch the opposition out of position. Every player is expected to contribute to a heavy pressing system that transitions into a direct attacking threat.

Yashin sits between the posts to command the area and sweep behind the defensive line. The back three consists of Pirlo, Passarella, and Perfumo, who play with a high line to squeeze the space. Passarella and Perfumo act as the central defenders, with Passarella providing strong aerial presence and covering for his teammates. Pirlo functions as a ball playing defender who can step into midfield to progress through the thirds. On the flanks, Facchetti and Zambrotta operate as attacking wing backs, looking to provide width and overlap the midfielders.

The midfield operates as a three man midfield with a carrier. Matthäus and Rijkaard form a powerful engine room, where Matthäus presses aggressively to win the ball high and Rijkaard provides cover to protect the back line. Both players are capable of carrying the ball forward to bridge the gap between defense and attack. Sastre operates as an attacking ten behind the strikers, finding pockets of space to play through the lines. This unit focuses on winning the second ball and immediately looking to find the forward line.

The attack uses two forwards in a partnership to stretch the defence. Shevchenko acts as a pressing centre-forward who makes runs in behind to exploit gaps, while Baggio operates as a second striker in the hole. Baggio drops deeper to link up play and pull wide, creating space for Shevchenko to attack the near post or far post. The duo works to isolate defenders in one on one situations and uses quick combinations to penetrate the box. When the team wins the ball, the forwards immediately push up to pin the last defender.

This formation offers immense strength in transition and the ability to press high in coordinated waves. By using attacking wing backs like Zambrotta and Facchetti, the team creates wide overloads that force the opposition to spread wide. The central trio of Matthäus, Rijkaard, and Sastre ensures the team can control the middle while providing numbers in the box during set pieces or crosses.

This 5-3-2 lineup is built for teams that want to dominate through physical presence and rapid vertical transitions. It is best suited for matches against opponents that play a high line and can be punished with direct runs in behind.