Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41896995›Full record

ArticleBMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation2026

Contemporary trends in tactical formations and team success in Europe's top-tier football leagues: a comparative analysis.

Erdi Tokul, Özgün Miraç Özçilingir, Kaan Kaya, Elif Aybüke Yilmaz, Dolunay Saray, Eda Akkiz Agascioglu, Abdullah Demirli, Kamil Erdem

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Article in BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Erdi TokulFaculty of Sport Sciences, Trabzon University, Trabzon, Türkiye.
Özgün Miraç ÖzçilingirFaculty of Sports Sciences, Marmara University, Istanbul, Türkiye.
Kaan KayaFaculty of Sports Sciences, Istanbul Yeni Yuzyil University, Maltepe Mh., Yılanlı Ayazma St., No. 26, P.O. Box 34010, Cevizlibag, Zeytinburnu, Istanbul, Türkiye. kaan.kaya@yeniyuzyil.edu.tr.
Elif Aybüke YilmazFaculty of Sports Sciences, Istanbul Rumeli University, Istanbul, Türkiye.
Dolunay SarayFaculty of Sports Sciences, Istanbul Rumeli University, Istanbul, Türkiye.
Eda Akkiz AgasciogluFaculty of Sports Sciences, Istanbul Rumeli University, Istanbul, Türkiye.
Abdullah DemirliFaculty of Sports Sciences, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey.
Kamil ErdemFaculty of Sports Sciences, Marmara University, Istanbul, Türkiye.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9930-7691

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study examines the distribution of tactical formations and their relationship with team success across the six major European football leagues (Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, and TFF Super League) during the 2023–2024 season. A total of 2,132 matches and 4,038 formation data points were collected via OPTA Sportsdata and verified through fbref.com. The formations were grouped into eight main categories according to structural similarities. Statistical analyses included one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and chi-square tests. The findings indicate that the 4–2-3–1 system was the most frequently used formation, while the 3–4-3 provided the highest average points per match. The dominance of 4–2-3–1 was evident in the TFF Super League, whereas the 3–4-3 was more common in the Bundesliga and Serie A, and the 4–4-2 was more prevalent in La Liga. Conversely, five-defender formations yielded lower average points and limited success. In conclusion, the effectiveness of tactical formations is not solely determined by their structural advantages but also by their alignment with league culture, player profiles, and managerial strategies. These findings should be interpreted as a season-specific snapshot of formation usage patterns in the 2023–2024 season, rather than evidence of long-term tactical trends.

Indexed as

Comparative league analysisEuropean football leaguesFootball analyticsFormation effectivenessTactical formationsTeam success

Identifiers

PMID41896995
PMCPMC13147885

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.