Union Berlin Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Rothe · Van Den Bosch · Querfeld · Juranovic · Schäfer · Latte Lath · Burke · M. Ljubicic · R. Khedira · Skov · Rønnow

Union Berlin focuses on a direct and vertical style of play using a 2-5-3 formation. This lineup aims to overwhelm the middle of the pitch to win the ball and push forward quickly. The goal is to dominate the central zones and use quick transitions to catch the opposition off guard.

Rønnow stays between the posts to manage the defensive line. The back line consists of a very narrow duo with Querfeld and Van Den Bosch acting as the two central defenders. Querfeld provides strength in the air while Van Den Bosch covers the space behind him. Because there are only two defenders, they must step up to squeeze the space and prevent the opposition from playing through the middle.

The midfield is the engine of Union Berlin and operates as a heavy five man block. Juranovic and Rothe act as the defensive foundation, with Juranovic looking to shield the two center backs. R. Khedira and Schäfer operate in the half spaces to connect the defense to the attack, driving forward with the ball to carry it into the final third. M. Ljubicic plays as an attacking ten behind the striker, tasked to find pockets of space and create chances. This midfield unit works to win the second ball and progress through the thirds.

Up front, the team employs three attackers to stretch the opposition. Latte Lath acts as a pressing centre-forward to harass the defenders. On the flanks, Skov and Burke operate as wide attackers, with Burke looking to cut inside and Skov to push high. The team looks to hit in behind on the transition, using the width provided by the wingers to create one on one situations. They often use the forwards to pin the last defender and create space for late runs from the midfield.

This formation offers significant numerical superiority in midfield to control the center of the park. By flooding the middle, Union Berlin can win the ball high up the pitch and launch immediate attacks. The ability to transition from a mid-block to a sudden forward burst makes them very dangerous.

Union Berlin uses this high density in the middle to suffocate opponents in the center. This setup is best suited for matches against teams that try to build play slowly through the middle of the field.