FIFA 23: Best 3-1-4-2 Tactics | OneFootball

FIFA 23 features more three-at-the-back formations than ever.

The 3-1-4-2 formation is now one of the standout options. It is an excellent tactic that is impressive in all areas of the pitch when ideal tactics are applied.

Tactical setups are huge in FIFA 23 and can be the difference between winning and losing. A tactic can dictate a team's style as well as the intensity of their play. Whether you are looking to achieve victories online in FUT Champions, or you prefer to chase major trophies in Career Mode. Crafting an effective tactic is a crucial part of any potential road to success.

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Three-back formations are often loved for their flexibility in FIFA 23. They can easily blend into a five-back formation while defending and still create attacking overloads after winning back possession.

But to get long-term success from this formation, you must apply a strong set of custom tactics and individual player instructions to your FUT tactic. Here is our view on the best 3-1-4-2 tactics in Ultimate Team this year.

Tactics

Defence

Offence

The first aspect of building this FIFA 23 tactic is the defensive setup of the team. We opted for a balanced style, for our team to maintain their positions off the ball. This means that they will avoid pressing unnecessarily to avoid creating gaps.

The width is set at 40 as we want to remain compact out of possession, and allow our wide midfielders to defend the wide areas.

The defensive depth is set at 60, as this will put us in a strong position to counter-attack quickly after winning possession.

Onto the attacking setup, we again opted for a balanced style. This means that the vast majority of our team will support a possession-based build-up style, without taking too many risks in the middle of the pitch.

The chance creation style is set at direct passing. Once we have progressed the ball into the final third, our attacking players will make runs beyond the opposition defence. This FUT tactic is extremely direct in the final third. The aim is for the midfield players to deliver opportunities to the attackers whenever possible.

The attacking width is set at 45. We want our players to be positioned close to each other to promote quick exchanges in possession.

Players in the box are set at five. The two strikers, the two wide midfielders and the more attacking central midfielder will look to enter the opposition penalty area.

The set piece setup is mainly down to what typically works in your Ultimate Team. We opted, for two men in the box for free kicks and corners, as this is beneficial for playing the ball short in these situations.

Player Instructions

The player instructions are also crucial to achieving success with the 3-1-4-2 formation in FIFA 23.

The goalkeeper can be left on default instructions, although if you prefer your goalkeeper to be more eccentric, then a sweeper-keeper role can support an offensive approach.

The central defenders also remain on the default instructions for this FUT tactic.

The wide midfielders are probably the most important players in this team. They operate as players that run box-to-box but in wide areas. They are given the instructions to come back on defence, stay wide and get in behind. They will have significant effects on the team's defensive and offensive play.

The central defensive midfielder is told to stay back while attacking and cover centre in this tactic. They will provide the main cover for the back three.

One of the central midfielders will be told to stay back while attacking and cover centre also. They will offer defensive support alongside the CDM.

The other central midfielder will be focused on their attacking duties. They will be given the instructions to get forward and get into the box for the cross as they will operate as an extra attacker while in possession. It would be most effective to deploy a winger here, with a high shooting and dribbling attribute.

Finally, the strikers are told to stay central and get in behind, they will be the primary goalscorers and will look to benefit from the intelligent movement of their teammates.

The 3-1-4-2 is an excellent formation for dictating the tempo in games, and remaining on the front foot throughout. It offers an abundance of attacking support, as well as a compact defensive unit that can be relied upon.