Alright, what's going on everyone? Ulo back here with a brand new formation and tactics video on EA FC 25. Today, we're diving into a defensive formation that I've been using myself to play out games in EA FC 25. And yes, it's a "rat" formation, so if you don't want to be a rat, I guess don't watch the video. But if you want to win more games in Weekend League and do better in Rivals, or whatever, you should watch this video. So let's jump in and learn how to play like a red.
Team Selection and Player Roles
First off, let's talk about the team. You might be wondering why I'm doing with my team. Why is Salah playing as a right midfielder? Why is he playing as a left back? This is because the formation I'm going to talk about today is the 5-4-1 formation. It's super effective defensively and very hard to break down in this year's game.
If I were to build a team with a 5-4-1, I'd want very, very fast wingers. This is a formation I switch to later in the game, maybe when I'm leading 2-1, 3-1, 4-3, whatever. If the margin is by one or two goals and it's a close game, and you feel like your opponent is all over you, the 5-4-1 is the formation you should play to see out the game, in my opinion. It offers five defenders, you can step out with one center-back, and you still have a whole defensive line for the opponent to break through. You have your two central midfielders, your two wingers, and then a striker.
- Center Backs: I'd look for center backs with at least 80 pace. Options include Van Dijk (even though he doesn't have 80 pace, he's still great), Fofana, Saliba, Romero (cheaper option), Van Gool (fantastic), Brier (really good), Marinos (really good), and others.
- Fullbacks/Wing Backs: You want two very fast fullbacks because they'll be running back and forth down the wing, providing extra support. Options include Hernandez and Dalo. Other options could be Frimpong, Karawae, and Rola.
- Goalkeeper: The keeper doesn't matter too much, but they need the "One v One" close down playstyle. This makes them come out quickly.
- Midfielders: I'd want one midfielder with good passing playstyles. In my case, this is going to be Sissoko. He has the "Whipped Pass" and "Long Ball Pass" playstyles. The other midfielder should be a box-to-box player. Valde is a good option.
- Wingers: You want fast wingers with a finesse shot or a trivela shot. They should also be tall so they can win headers. Ginola is perfect here. Salah is another good option.
- Striker: You want someone quick with a good physical presence. R9 is my go-to. Other options include Nkunku.
Tactics Breakdown
Now, let's get into the tactics.
- Formation: 5-4-1.
- Player Positioning:
- Center Backs: The slowest center back should always be in the middle.
- Wingers: Play them on the wing.
- Midfielders: One holding midfielder (Sissoko) and one playmaker (Valde).
- Striker: Advanced forward.
- Player Instructions:
- Goalkeeper: Sweeper Keeper.
- Wing Backs: Wing Back.
- Defenders: Defender.
- Wingers: Winger.
- Holding Midfielder: Stay back while attacking.
- Playmaker: Balanced.
- Striker: Advanced Forward (Complete).
This is a very defensive formation, but you still need to play offensive football. You can't just sit back and hope the AI does it for you. You still need to go forward and try to score that winning goal.