Set-piece mastery: Tips for free kicks, corners and penalties in EA FC 25
A corner or free kick can make or break a game. They’re the difference between tears, and victory. Here’s how to become a set piece specialist with our expert tips.
It isn’t all about lobbed shots from the halfway line. No, a good game of FC 25 has its fair share of set pieces, be they free kicks or corners.
Mastering either, however can be tricky.
With a solid corner or free kick often meaning the difference between taking your team a goal up, here are RBLZ Gaming and Team Gullit's finest with advice on how to get them right to maximise every advantage and come out victorious.
01
Free kicks galore
Trent Alexander-Arnold's skills can unlock a defence
© EA Sports
Is there anything more beautiful than a perfect free kick? Alfie 'RedLac' Calder has a three-step guide to perfection:
– “Step one, find a player with the 'dead ball' playstyle plus,” he says. This is shown via a golden badge and means your players deliver set pieces with speed, curve and accuracy. Vincenzo Grifo, Dani Parejo and James Ward-Prowse are good names to start with. “Don't worry too much if you only have a player with the silver dead ball play style, though,” suggests RedLac.
– Step two, enter the moments page and head to set pieces and then free kicks. “From here you can take unlimited shots against the AI until you perfect this method,” RedLac explains.
– Step three, press L2, and R1 to call players over during free kick prep, confusing your opponent and making them move their goalkeeper. “If he doesn't move at all, simply line up your shot directly towards the last player in the wall using the left stick, and then move your right stick into the bottom corner of the grid,” says RedLac. “Once you're lined up, hit 1.5 bars of power if you're on the edge of the box, and 2.5 bars if you're a bit further out.”
Then sit back, relax and watch your free kick fly into that top corner.
RedLac’s free kick masterclass
- Use 'dead ball' playstyle plus
- Practise against AI via the moments page
- Call players over to confuse your opponents
02
Free kick pro +
Still not quite sinking those balls in the way you’d like? Manuel Bachoore from Team Gullit has prepared four practice set ups to help you, which should work with all players.
“Let's start with the left footer on the left,” he says. “Aiming a bit outside of the goal, so it curves in, with three bars of power behind the shot, and it will fly in,” he says. “Try to green by pressing circle just before he or she hits it too.”
Now take a look at a right footer on the left. “Put it just around the wall again, three bars of power approximately, and try to time it green for the best chance of it to fly in. And when your opponent doesn't move his GK, it will fly in,” Manuel says.
A right footer on the right is the same as a left footer on the left, so don’t change anything. “Aim it just outside of the post so that it curves in with three bars of power, and try to time it green,” says Manuel.
For a left footed player shooting from the right, it’s the same as for a right footer on the left.“ Try to time it green, three bars of power,” Manuel advises.
Manuel’s tips
- Adjust according to side, and player foot preference – see above
- In general, aim outside of the goal to curve in
- Give it three bars of power
- Try to time it green when you hit the shooting button again
03
The secret to awesome corners
You’ve mastered free kicks. Now, Manuel has some thoughts on your corner tactics.
“Ninety-four percent of players don't use this corner technique,” he says.
“Go into your tactics, go to assignment, go to target player and put your best header of the ball as the target player,” he says
Once you’ve done this, for a left footer on the left aim it as far as possible to the line. “What will happen then is you load up three bars of power, and you will lock onto it and head it home,” he says.
For a right footer on the left aim it at the penalty spot again. “Don't change anything with your right stick, then load up minimum three bars of power,” says Manuel. Stay composed, not hitting it too far to the left or right. “It will just lock on if he's positioned correctly, and all there's left to do is head it home with a manual header.”
“A left foot on the right is the same as the last one,” says Manuel, “It's an in-swinger, so put it at the penalty spot, three bars of power, minimum.”
Finally, a right foot on the right is the same as the first approach above – just put it all the way to the line with three bars of power.
Manuel’s corner tips
- Assign your best header as target player
- Aim as far as possible down the line
- Give it three bars of power
- Adjust for player foot preference and side as above
04
Placing perfect penalties
Levi De Weerd celebrates a perfect strike
© Tom Doms/Red Bull Content Pool
When it comes to penalties, it’s simple: “In general, you want to time it as best as you possibly can, with the circle as small as possible to give you the best chance of success,” says Manuel.
“When you hit the corners, the goalkeeper can't reach it unless he makes a step. If you time it red or with a very big circle, the chances of that penalty flying in will obviously decrease a lot with almost minimum chances,” he says. So keep the circle small.
If you have problems saving corners, he advises, taking a step before you dive. “Let's say you dive top right,” he says. “You first take a step towards that side and then dive again. Otherwise, when you face a good penalty, by keeping the circle small, putting enough power, your goalkeeper will not reach it.”
Manuel’s penalty tips
- Keep the circle small for accuracy
- Timing is everything
- Aim for the corners to make the keeper move
- Take a step with your keeper before you dive or you won't reach the corners.