In FIFA 20, several changes have been made to the defense. Manual defending is now essential. We will show you tips for the best defensive techniques.
No matter how good your attack is, if the defense is weak, things can quickly look grim. Even with the most talented defenders, the defense is not a given. So you should know how to defend properly in FIFA 20 and keep your opponent away from the goal.
Especially FIFA 19 players need to adjust.
What has changed? Unlike FIFA 19, you have to do significantly more yourself when defending in FIFA 20. While the AI defended well automatically last year, manual defending is the norm in FIFA 20. Fortunately, the hard work is rewarded with frequent ball recoveries.
Tips for defending in FIFA 20
What is important when defending? Defenders – and gameplay in general – are significantly slower this year, and most defensive players have no chance of catching up to fast strikers.
You must therefore act riskier than last year. The key to success, or to winning the ball, is to control the player who is closest to the ball and actively tackle the ball.
Follow these steps:
- Control the defender closest to the ball, use the side-steps with L2/LT, and block direct passing lanes – Don’t go in blindly, but briefly observe the situation:
- Pay attention to the opponent and their movements
- If the opponent passes, quickly switch to the next defender and remain defensive
- If the opponent tries to pass you and takes a step towards you or prepares a special move, your chance has come,
- execute a tackle with Circle/B and grab the ball!
This requires some practice, but it works flawlessly when done correctly. FIFA professional Mirza Jahic has nicely illustrated the process in a video:
Don’t hesitate to control the central defenders as well. Mastering them is even a must in FIFA 20 to defend effectively.
What you should avoid: A few techniques that you’ve picked up over the past FIFA years are no longer particularly promising in FIFA 20. This includes:
- Calling in an extra defender with R1/RB – This tends to create gaps in your defense. Only use this function in exceptional cases
- Sticking to the opponent with the X/A button – This will just cause you to be left behind
- Letting the CPU take over defense – the AI has intentionally become somewhat “dumber” in FIFA 20 compared to FIFA 19
The right tactics for defense
This is important: A good defense requires not only an active, defensive play style but also a solid tactic for defending. In the individual tactics, you should set the following:
- Instruction for the CDMs: Stay back in attacks – This additionally secures the central defenders
- Instruction for the full-backs: Stay back in attacks – This protects against counters, which are very dangerous in FIFA 20
- Instruction for the CDMs: Cover the center – This will ease your workload and allow you to focus more on duels.
You can also try the new instruction “Drop Back in Defense” for the CDM position if needed. This helps the defensive midfielder in central defense. However, you should only command this for one player if you are playing with two CDMs.
For more on tactics and the best formations to start with, read here:
