FORMATION · 3 AT THE BACK
The 3-4-2-1 formation
Three at the back, wing-backs and two central midfielders, two tens behind a striker.
Also called 3-4-2-1 wing-backs
The shape
1
GK
2
CB
3
CB
4
CB
5
RM
6
CM
7
CM
8
LM
9
CAM
10
CAM
11
ST
Formation 3-4-2-1
What it gives you
Two players permanently in the pockets either side of the striker.
What it costs you
Asks the two tens to defend as well as create, and most of them prefer one of those.
Positions
GKCBCBCBRMCMCMLMCAMCAMST
Who plays it
The 3-4-2-1 is the 4th most-used shape of the 22 we track: 419 of the 5,080 lineups we hold from the leagues we cover this season, 8% of them.
- Athletico Paranaense81% of lineups22 of 27
- Crystal Palace100% of lineups8 of 8
- NEC Nijmegen80% of lineups8 of 10
- Lens100% of lineups5 of 5
- Bradford78% of lineups7 of 9
- Wrexham64% of lineups9 of 14
- Notts County80% of lineups4 of 5
- York80% of lineups4 of 5
- Hradec Králové80% of lineups4 of 5
- AS Roma80% of lineups4 of 5
- Leeds60% of lineups6 of 10
- Necaxa63% of lineups5 of 8