IT’S all well and good knowing how to score a goal or two in FIFA 21, but if you can’t tackle, you won’t get very far.
There are multiple ways to dispossess your opponent on the populator football simulator – and some are easier than others.
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How to tackle in FIFA 21
1. Standing tackle
The simplest form of tackle in FIFA 21 is the good ol’ standing tackle.
Your player will stick a leg out in an attempt to dispossess your opponent while staying on their feet.
To perform a standing tackle, press the B button on Xbox or the Circle button on PlayStation.
Be careful to time your tackles carefully, or you may miss, allowing your opponent to skip past you.
2. Slide tackle
Slide tackles are another way to nick the ball off your opponent, though they’re trickier to time correctly than a standing tackle.
Hit X on Xbox or the Square button on PlayStation to perform one.
Slide tackles are useful if making a last ditch attempt to stop an attack, but you can easily foul your opponent if you’re not careful.
Use them to block players or shots when you’ve no other option.
They’re best avoided when your opponent is in the box, as you may give away a penalty.
3. Hard tackles
Hard tackles put a little more oomph into your challenges.
They allow you to instantly knock others off the ball with some serious force and speed if you’re in a tight spot.
Holding down standing (O/B) or slide tackle (Square/X) results in a more powerful tackle than just a press.
You can also instantly perform a hard tackle by pressing R1/RB and hitting the slide or standing tackle button.
They should be used sparingly, but can be effective at covering space if your opponent is bursting through on goal.
4. Jockey your opponent
Jockeying your opponent helps you close down the space between defender and attacker.
Simply hold LT/L2 and your player will face up to their adversary.
The tactic can be used to shepherd an attacker away from goal and put you in a good position to perform a standing or slide tackle.
5. Use the AI
If all of that sounds like too much effort, you can always make the game do the work for you.
Simply hold down X/A and an AI player will close down your opponent and contain them.
Holding down R1/RB adds a second defender to the press.
While it’s handy, you shouldn’t rely entirely on the AI to defend, as it’s far from perfect and can leave your backline exposed.
What are the top 10 ratings in FIFA 21?
The release of the FIFA 21 ratings is an exciting day for fans of the game and football.
With the ratings based on the footballers’ real-life attributes, it has often reignited the debate over who is the best in the world – and typically in the past decade or so, is it Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?
FIFA 21 has sided with the Argentine, with the Barcelona star having an overall rating of 93.
That is just one ahead of his Portuguese rival as Juventus’ star man clocks in at 92.
The top ten for this year’s edition are:
- Lionel Messi – 93
- Cristiano Ronaldo – 92
- Robert Lewandowski – 91
- Kevin de Bruyne – 91
- Neymar – 91
- Jan Oblak – 91
- Virgil van Dijk – 90
- Kylian Mbappe – 90
- Mohamed Salah – 90
- Sadio Mane – 90
Here is the full top 100 FIFA 21 player ratings.
What are the new features on FIFA 21?
Just like every year, FIFA 21 brings in a raft of changes – including the improved crossing ability and career mode.
On the gameplay side, the Agile Dribbling system allows more creativity in 1-on-1 situations, while Positioning Personality improves in-game intelligence.
You will get more control over the runs by your attackers to get in behind defences, while FIFA 21 have updated their collision system so you should get less hilarious gaffes and falling over by your players.
The Career Mode has also been given a much-needed overhaul, including the ability to simulate matches and take control of the key moments.
You can also teach new positions to your players in a revamp of the training system, while for the transfers, you’re able to make Loan-to-Buy offers along with being offered swap deals.
