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How to play as Liverpool in FIFA 18
Guide the Reds to glory with these top tips.
For the first time in over ten years, Liverpool have reached this year's Champions League final. And it's no fluke – the squad is filled with quality players boasting outstanding attributes both in real life and in EA Sports' latest football game.
The key to helping Liverpool achieve the same level of success in FIFA 18 is getting the most out of the players, utilising their abilities to the best effect. Superstars such as Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino must be used effectively if you're to recreate Liverpool's real-world exploits.
With that in mind, we've provided a few tips to help you achieve dominance with Liverpool in FIFA 18, spanning everything from formations to player instructions. With any luck, you'll be adding to the trophy cabinet in no time!
What formation should you play?
4-3-3 gets the most out of Liverpool's triple thread in attack
© EA Sports
4-3-3 Holding
The 4-3-3 Holding formation is arguably the quintessential Liverpool tactic in FIFA 18. It works to utilise the team's excellent midfield quality to great effect, incorporating one defensive midfielder and two central midfielders. In attack, Roberto Firmino is flanked by two key wingers – he's lethal when defenders are occupied by Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah.
4-3-3 False 9
The differences between this tactic and the Holding variant are minimal – here, the sole striker drops deeper to assist with the midfield build-up. This is particularly efficient when playing a possession style of play. Naturally, the 4-3-3 False 9 variant requires a competent CF (Firmino suits it perfectly) or you'll struggle to maximise its potential.
4-2-3-1 Wide
The 4-2-3-1 Wide retains a similar shape to the aforementioned tactics, but converts the two central midfielders into CDM and CAM roles. The two wingers also drop into wide-midfield positions, better suiting the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Yan Dhanda. This formation once accommodated Philippe Coutinho in the crucial CAM role, but Wijnaldum and Firmino suit it well, too.
2. Who's in the team?
Which players should you pick?
© EA Sports
Defence
In goal, Karius is preferable to Mignolet due to his impressive potential. English youngster Trent Alexander-Arnold benefits from outstanding potential, too, but his present-day rating suffers slightly compared to Nathaniel Clyne. Any combination of Virgil van Dijk, Lovren and Matip proves effective in central defence, while the 79-rated Robertson is excellent at left-back.
Midfield
Liverpool boast a couple of particularly efficient central defensive midfielders, with Jordan Henderson the pick of the two. The other – Emre Can - can also perform well in central midfield alongside the likes of James Milner, Adam Lallana and Georginio Wijnaldum. Yan Dhanda and Cardiff loanee Marko Grujić are excellent Career Mode prospects as well.
Attack
Achieving success with Liverpool in FIFA 18 relies heavily on the talents of wingers Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah. Also, keep an eye on youngster Ben Woodburn in Career Mode – the 18-year-old boasts outstanding potential in LW, CAM and ST roles. Roberto Firmino is the obvious choice upfront, but Solanke and Brewster can also develop into potential superstars.
3. Which tactics should you use?
Can you manage the team even better than Klopp?
© EA Sports
Due to their strength in wide, attacking positions, Liverpool benefit highly from a counter attacking style when utilising pacy players with a high work rate. The squad is also efficient at adopting a possession game, bolstered by the high passing abilities of James Milner, Jordan Henderson and others.
Arguably the most critical player instruction at your disposal is 'stay back while attacking', which should be equipped by anyone in a CDM role. This helps to retain a solid defensive base at all times, negating the possibility of a quick counter-attack. Asking Salah and Mané to 'cut inside' is also a key consideration due to their strength in goalscoring positions.
Unfortunately, Liverpool are notably weak when it comes to set-pieces. James Milner is the best free-kick taker in the squad with a rating of just 77, while he also leads the way in penalty taking (83). Jordan Henderson is the second best dead ball specialist, while Trent Alexander-Arnold is also fairly proficient.
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