EA SPORTS FIFA 15 Seasons Team Guide - 3.5 Stars

Why Anderlecht are a top choice for title hunters at 3.5 star level!

I’m a big fan of using 3.5 star and four star clubs in Seasons mode. The games are usually very open and I find that I tend to defend and attack as more of a team when I’m playing at this level, which I feel helps my overall game improve a little.

Two FIFAs ago Anderlecht were my favourite 3.5 star team in the game and, after watching them in the Champions League this season, I decided to try them out again in FIFA 15. Since then I’ve won four titles in a row with just the odd defeat or two along the way. They really are excellent.

The squad has changed significantly from its FIFA 13 days, with just one of the players from two years ago making my line-up now, so there’s plenty for us to look at this week – including a completely different formation. Let’s start there.

STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES AND PLAYING STYLE
With a few changes from the default starting eleven you can set Anderlecht up with a really solid defence that’s able to cope well with strikers at 3.5 star level, a midfield that can tackle and create, and forwards with the pace and dribbling skills to make plenty of good scoring chances.

Because the goalkeeper and defence are so good I generally don’t worry too much about conceding lots of goals against other 3.5 star clubs, so I choose a very attacking 4-3-3 as my formation. This version doesn’t have any holding midfield players at all, instead using two central midfielders, a CAM and wingers either side of a lone striker. As you’ll see with my team selection below, I think Anderlecht have great players for this kind of line-up, which is rapidly becoming my new favourite formation in the game because it’s so good to attack with.

Both of Anderlecht’s CMs and the CAM have plenty of quality on the ball – so I’m able to build attacks through the centre with quick passing and movement – and the wide players are fast, so there’s also the option to dribble directly or play one-twos to get in behind full-backs before heading for the box. The lone striker I choose is a decent finisher and has more than enough pace to get away from markers and in on goal.

In terms of weaknesses, I don’t think Anderlecht will suit your playing style if you like to go for lots of crosses, as they’re not the most physical team. The excellent Aleksandar Mitrovic would be a better choice for the striker’s role if you do want to play that way, but I don’t think the team as a whole suits this style particularly well.

Also, while Anderlecht are very strong at 3.5 star level, you’ll quickly notice that their advantages aren’t quite so obvious if you get matched up against a team from the next level up. There are loads of good four star clubs in the game – which is something we’ll cover next week – and the very best ones can be just too strong, especially if you’re playing with a high defensive line and a more open, attacking style of play like the one we just looked at. For that reason I definitely recommended opening your Matchmaking Settings and changing Club Quality Matching to Restrictive.

This may mean you’ll have to wait a little longer to kick-off a new match, but I have this setting on all the time with Anderlecht and always manage to get a game after a few minutes. It’s well worth the extra few seconds of your time.

Right, let’s take a look at the team…

SILVIO PROTO
GK * 74
Experienced keeper Proto is the only player from the FIFA 13 team to make my line-up in FIFA 15. It’s an easy choice, too, as he’s comfortably the best GK in the squad with an overall rating of 74 that’s almost ten higher than back-up stopper Davy Roef. Proto is a top goalkeeper at 3.5 star level and has saved me many times in one-on-one situations.

ANDY NAJAR
RB * 72
Honduras international Najar is primarily a winger, but he has played at right-back many times in the real world so I have no problem using him there in this team. He brings speed to the back line and, thanks to good stamina and dribbling ratings, can get forward to support attacks effectively. He has a four-star weak foot and four-star skills, too.

ANTHONY VANDEN BORRE
RCB * 72
Vanden Borre starts at right-back by default but I much prefer him in the centre as, apart from Chancel Mbemba, Anderlecht do lack speed in this key area. Playing Vanden Borre here means I can push the back line a bit higher than if I were using slower players, which allows me to keep attacking pressure on for that bit longer. He’s also strong, a good ball winner and – if you do advance into more attacking positions with him – he can make a difference as he’s comfortable on the ball and has a dribbling rating in the mid 70s.

CHANCEL MBEMBA
LCB * 73
With acceleration in the high 70s and a sprint speed rating in the low 80s, Mbemba is very quick for a centre-back and has plenty of power, stamina and aerial ability, so he’s a dominating defender at this level. Like all of the other three defenders I select, Mbemba has a high attacking work rate. That isn’t usually ideal for a centre-back, but it suits my very attacking style with Anderlecht and – should the other team break – there’s plenty of pace back there to recover.

FABRICE N’SAKALA
LB * 70
N’Sakala is also very quick and can get up and down the line for the full 90 minutes without tiring too quickly. Although he’s an effective ball winner he lacks the physical strength of his defensive team-mates and isn’t quite as good technically as Najar on the right, so I try not to linger in possession for too long with him.

STEVEN DEFOUR
LCM * 76
Box-to-box midfielder Defour is my favourite player in this Anderlecht squad. Defensively he’s a good ball winner despite having relatively low strength, and his stamina levels are high so he always seems to be buzzing around in front of the back four soon after an attack has broken down. It’s in attack that he really makes a difference, as he has the control and dribbling ability to get away from markers, the vision and passing to pick out team-mates accurately and I’ve scored plenty of goals with him from the edge of the box. Top player.

YOURI TIELEMANS
RCM * 73
Highly-rated midfielder Tielemans is one of the players I recommended for your Career Mode teams when we looked at Future Stars a few weeks ago. If you missed that you can read it here. He feels good on the ball as he’s able to dodge tackles and dribble past opponents pretty easily, plus he’s fast enough and doesn’t tire quickly. He’s the best free-kick taker in my chosen line up so takes all of my set pieces.

MATIAS SUAREZ
CAM * 76
Along with Defour, Suarez has the joint-highest overall rating in the squad and you can see why as soon as you get the ball with him. He’s got quick feet, very good dribbling and plenty of agility, so he’s really responsive, and he’s a goal scoring threat from inside or outside the box. The bad news is he isn’t the strongest and doesn’t have great stamina levels, so often has to go off in the late stages of the game, usually to be replaced by the almost-as-good Dennis Praet.

IBRAHIMA CONTE
RW * 71
Conte is fast, an excellent dribbler and can do four-star skill moves, so I mostly use him to take players on and get into the area. Unfortunately he isn’t a great goalscorer – his finishing attribute is in the low 40s – so I generally look to pick out team-mates or drill the ball across the box rather than have a pop at goal.

FRANK ACHEAMPONG
LW * 69
Anderlecht have loads of capable left wingers in their squad and my favourite is lightning-fast leftie Acheampong. His acceleration and sprint speed attributes are both in the low 90s and, even though his dribbling rating is just under 70, he feels responsive thanks to high agility and balance. His finishing is pretty good for a winger at this level, so I often go for the shot with him when I get the chance and he has bagged quite a lot of goals.

CYRIAC
ST * 70
Cyriac’s a quick striker with fairly good dribbling ability, so he’s the player to go for if you intend to try to get beyond a back four. He has a low strength rating and, even though he’s got a good leap, his heading accuracy isn’t he best so he doesn’t suit a crossing game too well. His stamina rating isn’t the highest which means he can run out of steam quickly if you sprint too much with him, so try to pick your moments and go for bursts of pace. I really like Mitrovic, who is more physical and a better finisher but isn’t as quick, so I often bring him into the action when Cyriac gets tired.

So that’s how I set up with Anderlecht. Give them a try and, for those of you that are interested in playing at four-star level, make sure you catch next week’s column when we’ll be looking at a bunch of top teams to help you win titles.

Thanks for reading,
Darren
@darren_cross