Pep Guardiola's Manchester City are on course for a historical treble in real-life. But how could you replicate their style and success in FIFA 23 Ultimate Team?
FUT's custom tactics allow players to plan formation changes that will be applied in-game. These allow Ultimate Team players to change to any formation regardless of their starting formation. This creates a wide range of tactical possibilities in the FIFA 23 match engine.
This may make you wonder whether you could take inspiration from real football managers' setups to find success in FIFA 23. This piece will explore how to play like Pep Guardiola's Manchester City team in FUT this year.
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In terms of the defensive style, we have opted for pressure on heavy touch. City are not renowned for being a pressing team, but they are a squad filled with intelligent footballers. They rely on triggers to press the opposition.
This selection can allow your FUT team to operate the same way. They will press the opposition following loose balls, or poor control.
City defend with a high line, and so we have set the depth at 70. The width remains at the default 50.
The FIFA 23 offensive tactics involve significant alterations. Slow build-up means players will look to come short and support the possession from deep, rather than playing direct, long balls.
Possession-heavy styles are incredibly effective in FUT - patience can lead to the creation of high-quality chances and this is a key aspect of Guardiola's style.
High-intensity football can be utilised at the correct moments. Direct passing allows players to frequently make runs in behind, once the team has worked the ball into the final third. City plays short and simple passes until the ball reaches a dangerous area and the intensity is quickly increased.
In real-life players like Erling Haaland wait patiently for City to advance into the offensive areas before timing dangerous runs behind defenders.
In FIFA 23, players can at times set up like some of City's Premier League opponents making it difficult to create opportunities. Deep block defences are no problem for a team that has constant movement in the attacking zones thanks to the direct passing tactic. Playing like Guardiola's City can make your players incredibly tough to mark in Ultimate Team.
City commits all of their attacking players into the box at times, so we have chosen five players to be in the penalty area when a cross comes in.
The set piece setups are purely down to your personal preference.
The formation you begin with is much different to the shape of your team inside FUT matches. You should begin with a 4-1-4-1 formation, and you will need a number of specific player profiles in your starting team.
At right back, you will need a player suitable for playing in midfield in FIFA 23. High passing and dribbling stats are of paramount importance for this role. Your central defenders and left back need to be pacey as you will be deploying a high-depth defensive tactic.
The starting CDM in this FIFA 23 formation must be a tall, physical player that also has relatively high passing stats. The central midfielders should be elite technicians - passing and dribbling stats in the 90s would be ideal for this role. Just like Kevin de Bruyne and Bernardo Silva, you need some of the highest-quality attacking midfielders in these playmaking roles.
The wide men require pace as well as an impressive dribbling stat in Ultimate Team. Excellent agility and balance are specifically required to perform optimally in this role. The striker should simply be a physical and pacey unit, that has a high finishing and attack positioning stat in FUT.
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City play with a 3-2-4-1 shape while in possession and the player instructions can help you to create a similar shape in FUT.
The goalkeeper is especially important. Ederson Moraes often plays a key role in recycling possession for City. Sweeper keeper and coming for crosses are ideal instructions to use here. You need your keeper to be aggressive and to intercept long balls in behind to truly replicate Guardiola's system.
Both of the fullbacks are instructed to make inverted runs. The right-back remains on a balanced attack role meaning they will join the midfield. A double pivot is created with the natural CDM. The left-back is told to stay back while attacking to create a defensive back three.
The defensive midfielder will operate as a deep-lying playmaker and will cover the central areas out of possession. They are responsible for recycling possession from deep as well as supporting the attack when needed. This is the role that Rodri Hernandez plays for City.
The left central midfielder is kept on default instructions, you need this player to simply always be a passing option in the middle of the pitch. The right central midfielder is tasked with drifting wide and creating opportunities in behind for the centre forward - the Kevin de Bruyne half-winger role. This player will also be told to get into the box, to provide an extra option when they do not have the ball.
The wide players in this FIFA 23 custom tactic are both told to come short and cut inside. They are intended to progress the ball from deep positions via dribbling. They cut inside to move opposition players out of position and create space for teammates. With and without the ball, movement is a huge part of this FUT tactic.
The forward is simply told to stay central and get in behind in terms of their instructions. They will be the main goal threat of the team, and the other players will primarily create for them, just like the role of City's goal-machine Haaland.
There are many meta formations that players swear by in Ultimate Team, but being imaginative can be successful too. You can take inspiration from some of the leading tacticians of the footballing world to dominate games in FUT.
Guardiola's system has influenced many rival coaches in real life, but perhaps you could take it to the FIFA 23 stage, and make it a revolution there too.
Here we have explained how to create Guardiola's City tactic in Ultimate Team, using custom tactics. Why not test it out with your FUT team?