Defending in EA Sports FC 24 can be quite a challenging task, especially in online matches in Clubs, Ultimate Team, and other online modes. If you have found yourself scoring goals for fun but are unable to defend goals at your end, here are some helpful tips that can help you improve how you defend in FC 24.
1. Use team press
Team press is an extremely useful feature in FC 24, and it helps especially when you need to win the ball back as quickly as possible. When team press is on, the entire team will put pressure on the opponent team for a short period. There is also a cooldown period to team press, so you can only use it a few times during a match. Using team press is helpful when you’re losing a game, and need to put the opponent under pressure.
2. Be patient
This is extremely important in FC 24, especially in online matches where players can often be frustrated if they are defending a lot and are seeing very little of the ball. While it may sound simple enough, it is actually difficult to maintain composure in important Ultimate Team matches or promotion games in Clubs mode.
Knowing when to tackle with your players and not overcommitting is the sign of a resolute defence, so make sure you only take the risk of putting in a stand or slide tackle when the opponent takes a loose touch or the ball is within your reach.
3. Predict passes and intercept
It is also important in FC 24 to try and predict what the opponent will do next, as it can give you the edge over them in defence, and the overall match. Being aware of match surroundings and the possible passes available for the opponent around the ball and in your penalty box is critical.
Instead of always chasing after the player with the ball in FC 24, try to quickly intercept a pass once you are sure that the pass will be played.
4. Use secondary press
Using a secondary press is vital in order to predict passes and intercept them. Choosing to intercept a pass instead of putting pressure on the player with the ball can backfire. This is a risky choice where the dribbler may not play the pass and instead, look to exploit the open space.
This is where the secondary press becomes useful. By using a secondary press, a teammate from your team will put pressure on the dribbler, allowing you to control another player who can try to intercept the passing lanes.
Whenever possible, try to cut passing lanes with your wingers and midfielders, while the secondary press is put on by your defensive backline.
Moreover, the secondary press is also useful in FC 24 to inflict more pressure on an opponent, which can lead to you winning the possession back.
5. Maintain defensive lines
Speaking of the defensive backline, it is critical in FC 24 that the defensive shape is maintained, and that you run a narrow defence using custom tactics. A narrow defence with its shape maintained will make it harder for your opponents to exploit space in behind or find gaps between defensive lines.
6. Slide tackles for loose balls
Keep in mind that slide tackles are extremely risky and that missing a tackle completely can leave you open to a goalscoring opportunity being created against you. Worse, timing the slide tackle wrong can even lead to a straight red card, leaving you handicapped for the rest of the game.
However, slide tackles have a risk-reward situation. When the opponent’s player takes a loose touch, and there’s room for a slide tackle, players should go for it. Plenty of times, even when the stand tackle is rightly timed, the ball can still stick to the dribbler, or stumble into a different opponent’s feet. A crunchy slide tackle can either put the ball out for a throw-in or travel to a far safer distance than it would with a standing tackle.
7. Track runs manually
Relying on the AI to defend in FC 24 will not always be enough to get any player over the finish line. Hence, sometimes it is important to track the runs of opponent strikers in order to prevent passes that can leave your defensive line behind, and get your opponent through on goal.
A good way to sense when to track manual runs is to be on the lookout when the runs are being made, and if the opponent player is not actively dribbling, which might mean that they are waiting for the right time to play the ball in behind to their strikers.
If possible, try to track the run in a way that brings you between the ball and the opponent player that will receive the ball. This way, you can track the run and also cut out the pass. If you are not initially in a position to cut the pass out, don’t take big risks and instead keep tracking the run, and try to get closer to your opponent before putting in a tackle.
8. Use offside trap
Using the offside trap is another risk-reward situation in FC 24, and can be useful against players who like their strikers to get in behind your defence. Moreover, if you play a high defensive line, mastering when to use the offside trap can help you prevent quick counterattacks against you.
It can be quite tricky when to use an offside trap, and it is advised that you only do this when you are sure of it. Timing the offside trap wrong can leave your entire defence way behind the attacker, who will be charging towards the goal for an easy 1v1 chance against the goalkeeper.
Offside traps can be triggered when you can predict when the through ball is being played, and you must trigger it before the ball has been played by the opponent.
9. Use jockey
Using jockey in FC 24 during defending is a key part of ensuring that you’re always in the right position to stop the attacker from progressing through your defence with ease. Jockeying offers more control over movement while defending, and restricts the opponent from either taking the risk of trying to dribble past you or looking for a passing option.
It is key during jockeying to not overcommit in one direction, and try to maintain a slight distance from the opponent. Remember, jockeying is primarily to put conservative pressure on a player and can be seen as one of the early stages of defence. Being in the right positions while jockeying can also win you the ball, forcing the opponent to make mistakes. When jockeying, you’re supposed to be in the position the attacker wants to go towards, rather than charge at them.
10. Move the goalkeeper during corners
This is a tip precisely for players who may not have a strong defensive line with tall defenders, and are conceding a lot of goals from corners. Moving the goalkeeper slightly off his/her line and moving them towards the crowded zone of players where the ball might be played, can help prevent scoring opportunities.
However, this is also risky as some players can make manual runs and try to head the ball towards the near post to exploit the gap between the goalkeeper and the goalpost.
