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How to get the most out of Manchester City in FIFA 19
The best formations, lineups and tactics to use with Pep Guardiola’s side.
The addition of the UEFA Champions League in FIFA 19 means that you can do what Man City have yet to achieve in real life – win the biggest club competition in the world. It’s surely only a matter of time before Pep Guardiola’s side get their hands on it, but you can speed up that process by guiding them to glory on the virtual pitch.
Many of Man City’s biggest stars boast incredible stats in EA Sports’ latest release, including the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Agüero and David Silva. To benefit from them, however, you’ll need to know the best formations, lineups and tactics to set up with.
So, whether you’re jumping into Career Mode, competing in Online Seasons or even building a Man City squad in Ultimate Team, we’ve developed this guide to help you dominate the competition with the blue side of Manchester in FIFA 19.
What are the best formations for Man City in FIFA 19?
The 4-3-3 Holding formation is a great fit for City's star players
© EA Sports
4-3-3 Holding
This is Man City’s default formation in FIFA 19, and it works brilliantly. The team's strength in midfield is catered for with three central slots (including one at CDM), while players such as Sterling, Sané, Mahrez and Bernardo Silva can cause havoc on the wings. The only downside is the lack of a CAM role, so if need be, try experimenting with the 4-3-3 Attack formation as an alternative.
4-2-4
The 4-2-4 fits Man City due to the squad’s proficiency in attacking areas. It sees you utilising two wingers and two strikers (preferably Agüero and Jesus), leaving just a couple of central players to occupy the midfield. These CMs are naturally crucial to the formation, and are perfectly adopted by the likes of De Bruyne, Fernandinho, David Silva and Gündoğan.
4-3-2-1
This formation allows you to overwhelm defences in numbers with the aid of left and right-sided forwards. These positions are well occupied by natural wingers such as Sterling and Mahrez, and can also accommodate natural ST’s and CAM’s such as Jesus and David Silva. Three midfielders offer assistance in central areas, while width is provided by the two full-backs.
Who should be in Man City's FIFA 19 lineup?
You’ll want to make the most of De Bruyne and Aguero’s talents
© EA Sports
Defence
The best goalkeeper in the squad is Ederson, who also boasts impressive potential in Career Mode. Kyle Walker is arguably the top right-back in all of FIFA 19, while Benjamin Mendy slots in perfectly on the left. Any combination of Laporte, Kompany, Stones and Otamendi is effective in central defence, and young Philippe Sandler is another potential Career Mode talent.
Midfield
Fernandinho fits a CDM role well, and it’s also worth keeping an eye out for 18-year-old Claudio Gomes’ high potential rating in Career Mode. Those players work effectively in central midfield, too, as do Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gündoğan and David Silva. You’ll also want to give playing time to young Phil Foden – he's one of the top English wonderkids in FIFA 19.
Attack
The winger with the highest potential is actually Leroy Sané, who can reach an overall rating of well over 90 in Career Mode. Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva also offer fantastic ability out wide, while Gabriel Jesus boasts the most potential up front. However, Agüero is the preferable choice in attack across the majority of FIFA 19’s modes.
Which tactics should Man City use in FIFA 19?
Be wary of getting caught out in defence when using a ‘fast build up’ style
© EA Sports
Man City are set up with a possession-based offensive style by default, which works well due to the team’s impressive passing abilities. The best alternative is ‘fast build up’, allowing you to take advantage of City’s pace. Consider using the latter in conjunction with ‘attacking’ and ‘ultra-attacking’ game plans when chasing a goal.
The ‘get forward’ player instruction can prove highly effective for central midfielders in a 4-3-3 Holding formation, allowing Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva to adopt attacking mindsets. You can also convert wingers into inside forwards by using the ‘cut inside’ instruction if necessary, while both Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy can use their pace to ‘join the attack’ for added support out wide.
In terms of set pieces, De Bruyne steals the show. His free kick accuracy of 83 combines perfectly with a shot power of 91 to make him lethal from dead ball situations. He’s also the best at corners, although Ilkay Gündoğan and Bernardo Silva aren’t far behind. The two main strikers excel from the penalty spot, with Agüero the preferred choice.
