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By
Ibrahim Diop
-Video analyst for the Burkina Faso national team
The "high and wide" positioning of full-backs now consolidates a 5-man attacking line. Burkina Faso's video analyst explains the mechanics and tactical benefits.
In modern elite football, the back four remains the standard zonal setup. Yet, it relies on a delicate balance across three horizontal channels. The systematic emergence of a five-man frontline (the classic 2-3-5 or 3-2-5 in build-up) is no mere trend—it is a mathematical solution designed to overload the opposition both cognitively and spatially by introducing a fourth horizontal channel.
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