how the hell do you deal with the annoying people who trot out the dreaded five defender formations. So, I decided it was time to create this necessary article to discuss how to dominate people who use five at the back.

The first key is to slow your play. Breaking down any five defender formation is going to take some time, and the more you possess the ball the better the chances you have at creating gaps in your opponents back line. Now, slowing your play is kind of an ambiguous phrase, but there are a few keys that are important to implement. Slowing your play is going to involve little to no right trigger or R2 use. Getting all of your attacking players involved is a must. Setting up triangles and utilizing LB passing (L1 on PS3) is a must. Since I use a formation with two strikers and a center attacking mid, triangle passing between my main attacking three is very easy to do. By using triangle passing this is going to put a lot more pressure on your opponents back line. Your players will make better runs and runs that will end in the deadliest parts of the pitch.

A second key is not conceding the first goal. This is kind of obvious, but it is even more important when playing against someone who is running a five defender back. Most people who play with five at the back rely on their defense to keep them in games and then use the counterattack to score, often resulting in low scoring games. So, if you are able to get a lead against someone who is running with five at the back, this will take them out of their meticulous defensive strategy and force them to move players forward. This of course will create gaps in their back line and in turn will allow for more scoring opportunities for you.

A third key is finishing from outside the box. Often with five at the back, the defenders sit on the top of the 18 which makes it so difficult to move inside the box to score. One way to score consistently on five defender formations is by improving your long shot ability. Using the curve shot from just outside the box is a must and is something that needs to be practiced and perfected to increase your efficiency against 5 defender formations. Also, finishing outside the box can involve scoring from free kicks. Taking advantage of these opportunities is an easy way to get a leg up on your opponent.


Overall, playing against five defender formations is annoying, but it is not the end of the world. By implementing these strategies and techniques into your game you will have success at breaking down these formations. Be patient, finish when you have opportunities, and try to get off to a great start. You need to possess the ball and play slow, yet efficiently.