retired_kristileigh12

Anyone have any tips on how to stop David Villa and Valencia without "parking a bus" or putting 9/10 men behind the ball?

He always scores on me, and Valencia are the one team in La Liga that I can't seem to defeat without a lot of luck.

retired_simplyme82

Hmm ive been Valencia manager for 10 seasons and until he retired the only way i reckon you can stop him is by sitting your defensife line very deep and man mark him, its about your only hope

retired_fanito

Maybe get your dirtiest player to mark him. Perhaps someone like Materazzi.

retired_kristileigh12

"Materazzi headbutts Villa! Villa looks like he's in some pain...looks like he will have to come off"

...on a more serious note, I do man mark him with Puyol, but Villa's just too fast. Plus he's the best finisher in the game. Maybe I just need to accept that I'm going to be scored on and tryout to out-shoot Valencia.

retired_fanito

Ahh I see you and I have the same problem then. I man mark him with Puyol too, however, Puyol is no slouch, he's fast as well so I'm not sure why he can't shut him down at least every once in a while.

wingchunjohn

You need your defensive to take a deeper line, that should close the gap in behind your defense. Also if he's getting in down the wings (I believe one of his preferred moves is to do so) then have your full backs as defensive minded with no forward runs or draw them back with arrows.

Other options are playing a quick sweeper or having you're quickest defender man mark him tightly.

Whatever you do though, you need to take a deeper defensive line.

retired_kathylc2000

When I played Valencia in the CL as Liverpool I defeated them twice, 3:0, 1:0 iirc, and Villa didn't score (logicaly).

The good part is that I managed to just cut out most of his options, setting a low d-line, in the opp instructions I set always mark and close down, tackle hard and show onto left foot (he's right footed iirc)

He had a few chances during the matches, gave it his best, but he just didn't have luck... The chances were nothing special, iirc, he didn't get one on one with the keeper once during the games. He mostly tried shooting from distance and that was easy for Reina.

It's not wise to give him a strict guardian or the rest of the Valencia players will get more space (Morientes p.e.)

retired_kristileigh12

I just managed a 0-1 victory away at Valencia using a 4-3-3 formation. I also didn't use a strict guardian this time and had success. Villa ended up with a player rating of 6 as did 3 other Valencian players. Back line was pretty deep (notch 4?) and played zonal/no tight marking, full backs never made forward runs and always closed down, and after I scored my goal, I put barrows on my AML/AMR to ML/MR and had my wingers always close down too.

I can't figure out how to dominate possession though, as they always close down on my ball handler. I paid special attention to configuring my set pieces this time, and my one goal came off an attacking throw in that was followed up by a player lurking outside the area. But they had a lot more set pieces than I did and 55% possession...

retired_kristileigh12

Oh yeah:

I tight marked villa and hard tackle him. And I always closed down on Joaquin.