Gareth Bale - the best left-striker in the game

Today, we’ll be looking at Gareth Bale. The Real Madrid and Wales star is one of the highest rated players in the game, and is a mainstay of successful Weekend League teams.

Bale is a relatively unique player - in addition to his blistering pace, Bale is an incredibly powerful player, armed a cannon of a left-foot, as well as great dribbling and passing. His versatility can be seen in his ratings in any of the attacking positions on the field (on the basic chemistry style on 10 chemistry):

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The Welshman has incredible in-game stats:

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I boosted his dribbling and shooting stats with the Sniper chemistry style:

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I start Bale as a RF on 10 chemistry in my 4321 team, and I switch to a 41212(2) in-game. He plays a left striker, with Ronaldo at right-striker, TOTGS Giuliano behind them, and SIF N’zonzi, SBC Can and IF Casemiro making up the rest of the midfield.

I’ve used Gareth Bale for a lot of games, and he’s never going to be leaving my team. Here are my stats with him:

Stats

Price: 463,000

Games: 171

Goals: 168

Assists: 132

Chemistry Style: Sniper

As you can see, those are some insane stats - he averages around 1.5 goal contributions per game, and is adept at both scoring goals and creating chances.

Let’s get into the review.

Pace: 10/10

Lightning. Once he gets going, he cannot be caught. He can outrun almost any player in the game, and can hold his own against the SBC Bellerins/IF Walkers you see in the Weekend League. His acceleration is mind-blowing - he can burst away instantly, hitting top speed in the blink of an eye. His top speed is incredible - he covers ground unbelievably quickly, and can race the whole way up the field in a matter of seconds. His pace is one of his most valuable assets, and is enough to decimate any defense - once he gets away from a defender, they are not catching him.

Shooting: 10/10

His left foot is a cannon - his shot power is ridiculous. Driven shots across the face of goal are overpowered this year, and with Bale, it feels like cheating. He absolutely blasts the ball, so even if the placement isn't perfect, it's moving with so much power and pace that keepers struggle to stop it. His finishing is very good - he is absolutely clinical in the box, and can score almost every opportunity. His positioning is perfect - he is always in the right place, making runs behind the defensive line, or popping up in a pocket of space. His movement off the ball is almost as good as his movement on the ball, and it's a huge part of why this card is so good. His long shots are fantastic - he can score from anywhere inside 30 yards. His finesse shots have more curve than any player I've used this year - he can cut in, and curl one into the top corner with ease. His right foot is far better than the weak foot stat shows - he scores almost every opportunity inside the box on his right foot, though his long shots are far better on his left foot than on his right.

Passing: 10/10

His crossing is incredible - he can whip a perfectly weighted cross into the box with ease. He has great vision, short and long passing, making him a creative force. He never misplaces a short pass, and can play through balls consistently. His freekicks and curve are stunning - he can curl one past the keeper from anywhere up to 40 yards out, and his power freekicks are unstoppable. All in all, his passing stats are flawless.

Dribbling: 9/10

The only issue I have with the card is that he can feel a little stiff at times due to his lower agility and balance. However, with the sniper chem style, this can be fixed. He has perfect ball control and dribbling, so his first touch is always reliable, and the ball is glued to his feet as he runs. His 4* skills make him a nightmare to defend against, and when you combine these skills with the pace and power this card has, he is almost impossible to stop. His reactions are incredible, allowing him to be the first to grab a loose ball, or recover after a loss of balance.

Defending: 10/10

Not too important, but he's strong enough to win the ball back at times. His heading is fantastic, making a serious aerial threat - at least 20-25 of his goals are from headers. His high heading accuracy means that he can put away any opportunity he gets.

Physical: 9/10

He has fantastic strength and aggression, allowing him to bully most defenders. He can out-muscle most full-backs (which is invaluable against the fast ones), and can hold his own against most center-backs. He has great jumping, which makes him an aerial threat, and allows him to win a lot of long balls and goal kicks. He has decent stamina, but he is exhausted at the end of games because of how hard he works, and requires a fitness card after every 2-3 games.

Summary:

Bale is one the best players I have used this year - the only player I’ve used that is better than him is Ronaldo. He is a game changer, and can suit all styles of FIFA. Looking for a pacy striker? He’s insanely fast. Maybe you prefer a target man? He’s strong, clinical, and aerial dominant. Or maybe you want a creative winger? His passing and dribbling are almost perfect, making him perfect for creating opportunities.

For less than 500K, you are getting one of the best players in the game. He’s built to dominate in FIFA 17, where his combination of pace, power and incredible technique makes him the perfect forward. He’s going to remain in my team for the rest of FIFA 17, and I cannot recommend him enough.