In EA Sports FC 25, defense is one of the crucial aspects that can make or break your gameplay. While focusing on consolidating your defense or launching lethal counterattacks is key, understanding how to do so effectively isn't always as simple as it seems.

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But don't worry: we'll take care of it. Our complete EA Sports FC 25 defensive guide was created to increase your win rate and help you rack up clean sheets. So, without further ado, let's dive into this definitive guide on how to defend in EA Sports FC 25.
Defensive setup guide
There are three defensive formations available in EA Sports FC, each with its own pros and cons. Here's a quick guide on how to set up your defense based on the formation you choose for your game.
Three on the back
Adapting to this formation can be difficult as it only leaves three defenders in the defense. To make it work efficiently, you'll need to invest time in understanding your players and perfecting your gameplay.
Focus on having three fast defenders who possess the pace to cover large areas and then move into the center to break up your opponent's attacks. Furthermore, it is essential to include defenders as tall as Virgil van Dijk, Antonio Rüdiger or Gabriel, as their height and aerial prowess are invaluable when facing each other crosses into the box.
Assign the role as defender of the ball player to all your central defenders to ensure smooth ball circulation during the offensive build-up.
For the goalkeeper, we recommend
Alisson in the role of goalkeeper-sweeper
– is one of the best in the game and a reliable option to defend the goal.
Four on the back
This is the most balanced lineup in EA Sports FC 25, offering a perfect blend of defending and counterattacking opportunities. The two full-backs effectively cover the large spaces in your middlewhile the two central defenders handle players entering the area through the centre.
For the right and left back positions, players prefer Jules Koundé, Ferland Mendy, Joško Gvardiol and Trent Alexander-Arnold they are excellent choices, as they can contribute significantly to the formation of the attack. For central defender roles, classic defenders such as Rúben Dias, William Saliba and Éder Militão they are ideal for anchoring the defensive line and ensuring stability for the defense.
Choose the Defender role for your central defenders to maintain a traditional defensive line, ideally supported by a CDM to cover the central areas during counterattacks. If you prefer a high defensive line like Manchester City, assign the role of Tappo to your central defenders and the role of full-back to the left and right back for optimal performance.
Five on the back
This formation is one of the most criticized in the game, largely due to the infamous strategy of overloading the defense to minimize space for the opposition. While breaking through a five-man defense is undoubtedly a difficult challenge, creating effective attacks with this setup it can be even more difficult.
With the majority of your players positioned defensively, it is vital to maximize the impact of your midfielders and attackers. Assign the Midfield role to your central midfielders (CMs) and al Shadow Attacker role to your central attacking midfielder (CAM) to improve offensive dynamics.
If you need to involve multiple players in the build-up while trying to score, consider setting your striker on
False 9 role
.
Also, have your fullbacks move up and down the field while giving them the lead fullback role, providing crucial support to both attackers and defenders.
Five tips for defense
The above covers the tactics and basics of how to defend and set up your defensive line. But here are some tips and tricks that can be used while you are in the game or facing a player head-to-head.
For a clearer understanding of each tip, you can refer to the video, which provides a visual representation of the tactic.
- Always stand your ground and maintain the original formation assigned to your team. If your defender moves out of position or misses a tackle, quickly cover the gap with the closest player. For example, as shown in the video, we faced a similar situation and brought in Jude Bellingham to replace Jules Koundé. This gives the defender time to recover and return to their designated position without leaving gaps in their defense.
- Always be prepared for a long distance shotas the Powershot shoulder button is incredibly powerful and many gamers know this well. To counteract this, manually position your central defenders in line with the goal to block the shot, just like we did with Virgil van Dijk in the example.
- Make sure you do it time your sliding tackles carefullyas they can be a game changer when it comes to stopping a counterattack. However, focus on targeting the ball and not the player to avoid getting a yellow or red card.
Double-tap the slide tackle button to reduce the player's recovery time from a slide tackle.
- Always ensure the far post is covered by manually positioning your defender along the goal line. Goalkeepers are generally reliable at blocking post-post shotstherefore it is essential to take the lead and use the defender to cover the rest of the goal. Adapting to this change can make a big difference in preventing them sneaky goals from far away.
- The famous quote by Sun Tzu, the legendary Chinese military general, “Attack is the secret of defense; defense is planning for an attack“,” fits perfectly into this scenario. The best way to escape difficult situations is to launch a quick counterattack. While it's a risky move and can be difficult to execute, once mastered, it becomes a powerful weapon against even the sweatiest online players. For example, as shown in our video, our first counterattack attempt was blocked, but the second directly led to a goal – a perfect example of the strategy's potential.

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