Alright, what's up everyone, it's Omex here! This 4-1-2-1-2 narrow setup is getting tossed around on Discord as the best tiki-taka tactics in the game, and if you know me, you know I love tiki-taka, so I just had to give this one a go. Let's dive in!
Formation and Defensive Setup
We're going with the 4-1-2-1-2 narrow, not the 4-3-1-2. We'll get to why we're choosing a CDM over a center mid for this setup. The buildup style is on counter, which is something you wouldn't expect for tiki-taka tactics, but if it works, it works, so we'll keep it at that. The defensive approach is balanced at 5-4.
Player Roles and Instructions
Let's break down the player roles:
- Strikers: Both strikers are advanced forwards. One is on "Get in Behind" and the other on "Stay Central".
- CAM: The CAM is a playmaker with roaming. Roaming allows the CAM to have the freedom to move away from the center of the midfield if he's needed out wide. Trust me, on a narrow formation, sometimes you'll need him in those wider positions.
- Center Mids: One center mid is a playmaker with roaming. This gives them the freedom to exploit space, which leads to goal-scoring opportunities. The other center mid is a box-to-box, locking him in that central role. We don't want him getting wide at all.
- CDM: The CDM is key to making this formation click. It's the main reason we're using the 4-1-2-1-2 narrow instead of the 4-3-1-2. We instruct him to play that center half role, which is game-changing. When we get the ball, the CDM positions himself deep in defense, right between the two center backs, forming a momentary three at the back, which helps protect us in those counter-attacking scenarios.
- Fullbacks:
- On one side, we have a roaming playmaker in midfield that covers the wide areas, so the fullback on this side doesn't need to commit forward. He's on "Stay Back While Attacking" and "Balanced".
- On the other side, the CAM isn't getting wide, and neither is the striker, so our more attacking fullback here needs to be on "Join the Attack" and "Balanced", making sure he has that left side of the pitch fully covered.
- Center Backs: Both center backs are on "Default" and "Defend".
- Goalkeeper: I play all my goalkeepers on "Sweeper Keeper" and "Come for Crosses". I suggest you do the same.
Gameplay Analysis
When I first came across these tactics, I was like, "Nah, I don't see this going far." I'm sure it's going to be fun, but I don't see how it could find a place in the current meta. The first 10 minutes of me trying this in-game, though, really took me by surprise. The attacking movement of the players seemed insane. Players were darting forward, there were always a bunch of free passing options, and the diagonal runs I was getting were just... let's just say it's like scoring goals on easy mode. You have that perfect triangle of the CAM and the two strikers up top. The midfield support is there, and the overlapping run of the fullback on one side... playing it was really a refreshing experience.
But is it solid defensively? That's where it gets tricky. Yes, it's actually alright in defending. The CDM playing as the third center back helps a lot in consistency, and I love how sometimes he pops out of the defense and pushes the ball holder aggressively. The wingback on the right side didn't bother me at all, though he seemed to always come back and play his defensive role just in time. But for me, it was the attacking wingback that... if I'm talking strictly about meta, you cannot leave a freeway on one side of your defense for the opponent's wingers to exploit. Having a super fast center back on the same side of the attacking wingback certainly is the way to go. I learned it the hard way with playing Van Dijk there. So yeah, I definitely suggest you play someone faster. But nonetheless, you need to always keep in mind to expect the counter-attacks to be deadly always on that side of the defense. Other than that, top, top tactics for the 4-1-2-1-2 narrow.