Custom Team Football Formation

Starting Lineup

1 PATERNITI 89 (181 SX) · 6 BONTEMPO 89 (182 SX) · SACCA' 99 (DX) · 5 BAREZ 92 (181 DX) · 4 SCOLARO 94 (AMBIDX) · 10 LUCARELLI 94 (168 SX) · 9 CASTROVINCI 09 · 11 PONTINI 04 (DX) · 8 BIONDO 91 (DX) · 3 CONTI 01 (DX) · 7 NOTO 07 (DX)

Seeking to hit teams on the transition with heavy verticality, this team operates in a 5-2-3 formation. The lineup is built to sit in a mid-block and use wide players to stretch the opposition. By covering large areas of the pitch, the squad aims to win the second ball and quickly progress through the thirds once possession is regained.

PATERNITI starts between the posts to organize the defensive line. The back five consists of a central trio where BAREZ sits in the middle to anchor the unit, while SACCA' and BONTEMPO act as the wide centre-backs to cover the channels. CONTI and NOTO operate as attacking wing backs, tasked to push high up the pitch to provide width. The defensive unit works to maintain a narrow block to deny central entries, forcing opponents to the flanks before the wing backs track back to defend.

In the middle of the pitch, the team employs a double pivot. BIONDO and SCOLARO work together to control the central zone, with BIONDO often tasked to carry the ball forward and SCOLARO acting to shield the defence. This pairing connects the defensive line to the front three by receiving the ball from the centre-backs and looking to play through the lines. They must be ready to press in pairs to prevent the opposition from playing out from the back.

The attacking front line features three attackers across the pitch. CASTROVINCI acts as the lone striker to lead the press from the front and hold up the ball, while PONTINI and LUCARELLI operate as wide wingers. PONTINI and LUCARELLI look to cut inside to create central overloads or stay wide to deliver crosses. The goal is to create runs in behind the opposition defence through quick combinations and to isolate defenders in one on one situations.

This formation offers significant advantages in terms of defensive compactness and wide overloads. With five defenders and two wing backs, the team can quickly shift to form a solid block when defending deep. The presence of CONTI and NOTO allows for immediate wide superiority when the team transitions into attack, creating mismatches against opposing full backs.

The 5-2-3 lineup is designed to frustrate teams that dominate possession by using a compact mid-block. It is best suited for matches where the team can exploit space behind the opposition defence through rapid counter attacks.