So here’s what really went down in my FIFA save when I tried Valencia against Real Madrid. Messed it up bad first time. Let me tell you exactly how it crashed and burned, then how I somehow clawed it back.
The First Go: Utter Disaster
Jumped straight in. Figured “attack is best defense,” right? Big mistake. Set Valencia super aggressive from kick-off. All-out attack. Pressing everywhere. Thought we could overwhelm them early.
Got absolutely shredded. Real Madrid, man… those counters? Brutal. Vinicius and Rodrygo just sprinted past my entire left side like they were standing still. Felt like chasing rabbits. By halftime? Down 3-0. Embarrassing. My defenders looked lost.
Changed nothing at half. Just prayed. Yeah, no. Ended 5-1. Got absolutely destroyed. Felt stupid. Like, really stupid. Rage quit material.
Thinking Time: What Went SO Wrong?
Slammed the controller down. Needed to figure out why Real Madrid demolished us.
- Way Too Open: That all-out attack? Left massive gaps. Giant highways between my defenders and midfield. Real Madrid’s fast guys feasted on that space. Pure suicide. Our midfield? Overrun constantly. Kicked around like a tin can.
- Pressing? They Walked Right Through It: My high press? Real Madrid just… passed around it. Like kids playing against their dads. Especially Toni Kroos. Didn’t break a sweat finding the forwards.
- We Had Nothing: Going forward? Just booted it long. Lost the ball every single time. Got bullied physically. No clever ideas. Zero chances.
Basically, I gave Real Madrid exactly the kind of game they love: wide open and chaotic. Played right into their hands.
Second Attempt: Parking the Bus & Waiting
Okay, scrap Plan A. Total U-turn.
This time? Defense first. Defense only. Switched to a 5-4-1. Everyone back. Deep defensive line. Absolutely, positively no more high pressing. Told everyone to just SIT. TIGHT.
Focus? Only two things: Block shots at all costs. Annoy Vinicius Junior.
Made my slowest defender stick to Vinicius like glue. Didn’t try to tackle him much – just shadowed him. Didn’t give him room to run. Put two players around Benzema if he got near the box. Everyone else? Packed the middle. Made it crowded and ugly.
The Actual Game: Ugly But… It Worked?
First half? Horrible to watch. Zero attacking ambition. Zero shots for us. Possession? Mostly Madrid. But… the score? Still 0-0!
They got frustrated. Started taking stupid long shots because they couldn’t find a way through our bus. Courtois saved a couple of those – easy saves. Vinicius tried dribbling past three guys… lost the ball. Felt good.
Around 70 minutes? Madrid started getting impatient. Pushed everyone forward. Saw a tiny gap. Got the ball to Guedes on the wing. He didn’t try anything fancy, just booted it down the line and chased. My striker? Managed to muscle past Nacho. One-on-one with the keeper… buried it!
1-0 up! Absolute chaos defending for the last 20 minutes. Clearances. Tackles. Courtois saving everything. It felt like forever. But… final whistle. 1-0! Shocked.
Didn’t dominate. Barely had the ball. It was scrappy, messy, and frankly, a bit lucky. But against Real Madrid with Valencia? I’ll take it.
The Raw Takeaway
- You CANNOT Go Punch-for-Punch: Trying to match Real Madrid’s attacking firepower? Forget it. You’ll get knocked out cold.
- Deep & Packed is Key: Fill the spaces in front of your goal. Make it impossible for them to play cute passes through. Force them wide. Force long shots.
- Annoy Vinicius Relentlessly: Don’t let him turn and run. Shadow him constantly. Double up if he gets near the box. Ruin his rhythm.
- Steal a Goal: Don’t plan elaborate attacks. Wait for their mistake or a lucky break. Be absolutely clinical when one tiny chance pops up. That might be all you get.
It ain’t pretty. It ain’t Pep Guardiola football. It’s parking the bus, kicking the ball into row Z, and praying. But against a team way stronger than you? Winning ugly feels way better than losing beautifully. Trust me.
