Borussia Dortmund II Football Formation

Starting Lineup

1. AKIYAMA.E
15. TAKESHIMA
3. TOGASHI
12. ASARI
4. SHIMIZU
16. KURODA
20. OTOMO
10. KIRIKI
7. TAKASUGI (C)
24. AKIYAMA.R
11. MOTOKI

Borussia Dortmund II aims to play a direct and vertical style of football using a 5-2-3 formation. This lineup focuses on rapid transitions and utilizing the width of the pitch to catch opponents out of position. The team looks to win the ball and immediately look for the forwards to exploit space behind the opposition defense.

AKIYAMA.E operates between the posts to organize the defensive unit. The back line functions as a back five with KURODA acting as the central anchor to hold the line. TAKESHIMA and TOGASHI sit on either side of him to provide cover and win the second ball. ASARI plays as a right wing back to push high and provide width, while SHIMIZU acts as the left wing back to overlap the attackers. The defensive unit works together to stay compact and deny the turn to any oncoming attackers.

The midfield relies on a double pivot to control the center of the pitch. OTOMO and KIRIKI work as the engine room to connect the defense and attack. OTOMO focuses on recycling possession to move the team up the pitch, while KIRIKI looks to drive forward with the ball to break the line. Both players must press aggressively to win the ball high up the pitch and prevent the opponent from building play through the middle.

Up front, Borussia Dortmund II uses three attackers to stretch the defence. MOTOKI leads the line as a pressing centre forward to harass the opposition back line. On the flanks, AKIYAMA.R plays as an inverted winger to cut inside and create chances, while TAKASUGI (C) operates on the right wing to deliver crosses and find the feet of the striker. The captain TAKASUGI (C) provides leadership in the final third to ensure the team attacks in combinations.

This formation offers specific tactical advantages such as the ability to create wide overloads from the overlapping runs of ASARI and SHIMIZU. The setup also provides great protection against counter attacks because of the three central defenders. By using a high press with MOTOKI and the wingers, the team can often win it back high up the pitch to launch immediate attacks.

Borussia Dortmund II uses this setup to stay defensively solid while remaining dangerous on the break. This formation is best suited for matches against teams that play with high defensive lines and leave space in behind.