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Gone are the days when Brazil’s legendary team of the 1970 FIFA World Cup played with a ‘front five.’ Led by Pele, that team played in the 4-2-4 formation in an era where such attacking formations were very common. As the game evolved into what we today call modern football, teams started relying more on the overall balance on the field.
Watching the likes of Pep’s Barcelona or more recently, Hansi Flick’s Bayern Munich is a sight for sore eyes. But attacking football isn’t just about throwing the kitchen sink at the opposition goal post. It is about an organized formation to create and bury chances, all with a hint of magic. With that in mind, we take a look at the:
5 best attacking formations in football
#5 2-3-5 (Pyramid)
Although it might look extremely strange right now, 2-3-5 was the first-ever long-term successful formation in football history. Its first official record dates back to 1877 when it was used by Wrexham, who were the first winners of the Welsh Cup.
The Uruguayan national team benefitted the most from this formation during their golden era. With 2-3-5, the South American nation won the Olympic gold in 1924 and 1928 and the first-ever FIFA World Cup in 1930.
While it has been rarely used in modern football, Pep Guardiola fielded his Barcelona team in a similar fashion against Getafe in 2012. The Blaugrana went on to win the game 4-0.
The formation is as simple as it looks. Two centre-backs are in charge of the defence and organizing the team in front of them. Midfielders play more of a link-up role here and rely on passing the ball to the team’s ‘front five’. With two wingers, two inside forwards and one centre forward, it is pretty clear to see that this is one of the most attacking formations of all time
#4 4-1-4-1
4-1-4-1 is one of the least used attacking formations in modern football due to its requirement of specific players in specific positions. The sole defensive midfielder plays a crucial role in this formation between the back four and midfield four.
But with a quality defensive midfielder in the side, a team can focus on the attack. Wingers on either flank of the four man attacking midfield can torment the opposition with their pace.
Two central midfielders provide the creativity to the formation and key passes for the centre forward in front of them. Wing backs in the back four can push further to create a 2-3-4-1 attacking organization if needed.
Pep Guardiola often used this formation during his time at Bayern with Schweinsteiger as the midfield pivot behind Ribery, Kroos, Muller and Robben. While ‘Robbery’ made life impossible for the opposition wing backs, Kroos and Muller’s creativity meant Mandzukic was always provided with quality chances.
#3 4-2-2-2
Often called ‘Magic Rectangle’ or ‘Magic Square’, due to its organization in the attack, 4-2-2-2 was Brazil’s favourite formation in the 80s and 90s.
The back four consists of two wing-backs who can push forward when needed and the defensive midfielder plays the traditional role of a CDM. But the magic of this formation lies in its attack. The two secondary attackers can either be wingers or attacking midfielders depending on their playing style.
If these secondary attackers can cut back inside from the wings, the oppositions are likely to play catch up for the entire 90 minutes. The front two stay central with a proper No. 9 inside the box and the other one to play a more supportive role.
Often underappreciated for his tactical genius, Manuel Pellegrini used this formation exceptionally and produced results with both Villarreal and Manchester City.
#2 3-4-3
In the era of 4-4-2 and 3-5-2, Johan Cruyff created a Dream Team at Barcelona with the help of 3-4-3.
The back three usually consists of a solid central defender (Ronald Koeman in Cruyff’s Barcelona). The wide defenders are often fluid in their positions covering the horizontal line. The midfield four can be either a diamond or a flat-four, depending on the pace of the midfielders on either flank. Cruyff himself often used the diamond with Pep Guardiola at the defensive end of it and Jose Bakero at the tip of the diamond.
3-4-3 was also used by Rafa Benitez at Liverpool during the second half of the famous 2005 Champions League final – The Miracle in Istanbul. Most recently, Antonio Conte switched to 3-4-3 at Chelsea to win the Premier League title in his very first season with the Blues.
#1 4-2-4:
Yes, we are finally talking about the famous 4-2-4 used by Brazil at the 1970 FIFA World Cup. It goes without saying that it is an insanely attacking formation with more reliance on direct attack than passing or ball possession.
Just like any other formation, the quality of players is important for 4-2-4 and the 70s Brazil had arguably the best team ever. Rivelino, Tostao, Jairzinho and of course, Pele led the attacking line. All four were capable of creating and scoring goals at will.
The two central midfielders often have to do the dirty work in front of the back four. But 1970’s Brazil had the audacity to push one of these two midfielders, Gerson in to attack, creating an even more absurd 4-1-5 formation. Talk about attacking firepower!
