Roma Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Koulierakis · Molina · Hermoso · Balerdi · Castro · Malen · Dybala · Soulé · Cristante · Pellegrini · Svilar

Roma focuses on controlling the center of the pitch through a highly aggressive 2-5-3 formation. This lineup is built to dominate the middle zone and pin the opposition back with constant pressure. By using a heavy midfield presence, Roma aims to play vertical football and create quick passing lanes to the front three.

Svilar sits between the posts to organize a very aggressive defensive unit. The back line is a narrow pair consisting of Hermoso and Balerdi, who must act as ball playing defenders to play out from the back. Because there are only two central defenders, they often play a high line to squeeze the space and keep the team compact. This requires Hermoso and Balerdi to be ready to sweep behind the line if the opponent hits in behind on the transition.

The midfield core is the engine of this formation, operating as a five man block. Molina and Koulierakis form a double pivot to shield the defense and win the second ball. Ahead of them, Pellegrini and Cristante operate as two tens in the half spaces to drive forward with the ball and connect the defensive and attacking lines. Dybala plays as an attacking ten behind the striker, looking to receive on the half turn and find the feet of the striker or slide a through ball to the wide players.

The attacking front three is designed to stretch the defense through high width and central penetration. Malen acts as an inverted winger on the left to cut inside, while Soulé stays wide on the right to provide service. Castro operates as a lone striker, tasked to hold up the ball and pin the last defender. The forwards press from the front to trigger a press, often forcing a long ball from the opposition. Malen and Soulé look to get to the byline to deliver early crosses for Castro to attack the near post.

One major advantage for Roma is the numerical superiority in midfield, which makes it very difficult for opponents to control the game. The combination of the double pivot and the central attacking midfielders allows the team to recycle possession effectively. Another strength is the ability to use wide overloads when the midfielders push high to support Malen and Soulé. This creates many one on one situations for the creative players.

This aggressive formation is best suited for teams that want to dominate possession and overwhelm the middle of the pitch. It works most effectively against opponents that play a low block and struggle to deal with constant central pressure.