European Football Championship 2008: The formation game

A traditional 4-4-2 worked for Greece in Euro 2004, but how will coaches organise the talent at their disposal this time around?

Spain coach Luis Aragonés has some big decisions ahead of him if Spain are to win the European Championships for the first time in 44 years. His 4-5-1 formation, with David Villa up front, proved fruitful in qualifying, but that would mean leaving out Fernando Torres who’s scored 30 goals in 44 games for Liverpool this season.

4-5-1

Villa scored seven goals as Spain qualified for this summer’s tournament, while Xavi’s presence at the peak of a midfield diamond saw the FC Barcelona midfielder chip in with four. And a solid defensive base of Carles Puyol and David Albeda allowed full-backs Juan Capdevila and Sergio Ramos to get forward – with both scoring in their penultimate game in qualifying, against Sweden, to top the Castrol Index.

Aragonés would need to leave out a midfielder to include Torres, which is possible, but his preferred selection is clear: Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas – ranked eighth in the Index – in the diamond’s centre, with two from Andrés Iniesta (who scored four in qualifying), David Silva or Joaquín providing the threat out wide.

The wealth of Portuguese midfielders gives Luiz Felipe Scolari little choice but to play a five-man midfield, with Ricardo Quaresma, Nani, Maniche, Simão and Cristiano Ronaldo all a goalscoring threat.

4-4-2

Since lifting the trophy in 1996, Germany have scored just three goals in six games at European Championship finals; this year, the only difficulty for coach Joachim Löw – who favours a rigid 4-4-2 formation – is who to pick from his in-form front men. Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski and Mario Gomez all scored against Switzerland last month, while Kevin Kuranyi scored four goals in Schalke’s 5-0 win against Energie Cottbus last week. Podolski has, however, been deployed (by Castrol ambassador Ottmar Hitzfeld) on the left of midfield at Bayern Munich, which offers one alternative.

French coach Raymond Domenech is unlikely to swerve far from his trusted 4-4-2, with Thierry Henry – despite disappointing at FC Barcelona – expected to partner the CPI’s 11th-ranked striker Nicolas Anelka. Franck Ribéry, in fine form at Bayern, is a certainty in Les Bleus’ midfield, while Karim Benzema, who continues to help fire Lyon towards a seventh consecutive league title, continues to knock at the door.

4-2-3-1

The electrifying form of Italians Alessandro Del Piero and Felipe Inzaghi may yet give them a lifeline into an ageing Azzurri squad. In qualifying, however, coach Roberto Donadoni prospered with a 4-2-3-1 formation, employing two holding midfielders and three more attack-minded players to support Luca Toni – who, as the Castrol Index’s top-ranked striker, is unlikely to give way to Inzaghi despite the latter’s hat-trick for AC Milan last weekend. Del Piero, meanwhile, remains behind Mauro Camoranesi (impressive against Spain), Antonio di Natale and Andrea Pirlo in the pecking order.

What do you think will be the most effective formation this summer? Have your say and vote now on http://euro2008.castrolindex.com/?language=en !

For more news on the European Football Championship 2008 please visit http://www.castrolindex.com

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