FC Bayern Forum

Like many Bayern fans, I’m finding our team has been quite stale recently and have been hoping for an injection of new ideas. Many of us have been asking to play a three at the back formation, leading me to ask, when has that formation last been deployed by a major cup (World Cup, Champions League, Euros) winning team? In fact iirc, haven’t all the WC and Champions League winning sides since 2006 used a 4-2-3-1/4-3-3?

In fact I was half joking with the Belgium and England supporters saying they can’t win the WC because they aren’t playing 4-2-3-1. Is a back four requisite for a cup winner?

Pep won the Club World Cup with a 3-7-0

Chelsea won PL with a back 3 as well



Not many NT's have employed back 3 tactics in the past because they require training hours that NT coaches don't have. Also most of the players are used to play with back 4's with their teams.

But recently the Back 3 tactics are growing popular in club football and that's why we see NT's like Belgium or England starting to play like that too.

Real Madrid won two Champions Leagues under Zidane (against Atletico and Juventus, but not Liverpool) using what I would judge as an offensive back 3, but they defended with a conventional 4.

Pep also won his 2 CL's with Barcelona in a somewhat similar way. 4-3-3 on paper but 3 at the back (2 CB and 1 CDM) when attacking. As did Spain in WC10.

Conte came close with Italy in Euro 2012.

Germany in the Confederations Cup.

I think it would've worked with England had they had a better #6. As for Belgium, their system clearly works, but their problem was the lack of in-game alternatives. They had no choice but to do a back 3 at all times without any adaptability due to the lack of an Alaba / Lahm type player.