Maccabi Tel-Aviv Football Formation

Starting Lineup

71 (MELIKA)
76 (ASANTE)
75 (CAMARA)
71 (BEN HARUSH)
76 (TAVERNIER)
76 (BELIC)
75 (KANICHOWSKY)
75 (SHAHAR)
77 (HELIO VARELA)
75 (DAVIDA)
75 (SOKLER)

Maccabi Tel-Aviv plays with a 5-2-3 formation. The team aims to be defensively solid and quick on the break. This lineup is built to play a vertical style of football that relies on catching opponents out of position.

The goalkeeper 71 sits behind a back five that maintains a narrow defensive block. The central defenders 76, 76, and 75 work together to defend zonally, with 76 and 75 acting as ball playing defenders to help play out from the back. 76 is tasked with covering the space behind the others. On the flanks, 76 operates as an attacking wing back to provide width, while 71 acts as a defensive wing back to help the unit stay compact. The whole back line works to win the second ball and clear the lines when under pressure.

The midfield relies on a double pivot consisting of 75 and 75. These two players work to shield the defence and win the second ball in the middle of the pitch. One of the 75 players will often drop to help play out from the back, while the other seeks to carry the ball forward to connect the lines. They must press in a mid-block to deny the turn of the opposition and prevent them from playing through the lines.

The front line uses three attackers to stretch the defence. 77 and 75 play as wide wingers, with 77 often cutting inside to act as an inverted winger. 75 works as a pressing centre-forward to pin the last defender and find the feet of the striker. The wing backs 76 and 71 look to overlap the wingers to create wide overloads. This formation allows the team to hit in behind on the transition and use cutbacks from the byline.

Maccabi Tel-Aviv gains a major advantage through the ability to press high in coordinated waves when the ball is lost. The formation also offers compactness when defending, making it difficult for opponents to find gaps. Another strength is the speed of transition, as the players can move from a defensive block to an attacking one very quickly.

This 5-2-3 formation provides a hard unit to break down while remaining dangerous on the counter. It is best suited for facing teams that play with a high line and heavy possession.