Strongest team at my level plays a 4-3w-1-2, League title on the line, what to do?

I am a token buyer with a very strong team (it's at 117% when I play all my starters.) I normally play a hard attacking style myself. When the new league season started my first game was 3 minutes after it announced, away to a team a full 10 points (20%) better than me. I tuned into the game in the second half with the score miraculously 1-1 (opponent was watching too) and swap into a very defensive style to go for the draw. All was well until literally the 90th minute when an 'off screen' goal was awarded and I lost 2-1. There are only two other partially relevant teams in our league (I beat them 5-0 and 6-0) but he somehow ended up drawing with one of them 1-1 and barely beat the other 2-1 (his entire bench and starting team has 7 star players, so he can dominate all trophies.)

I play him tomorrow with a shot to steal the league if I can nick a win but I'm not sure what the best strategy is. I'm even ok drawing 0-0 if need be because maybe he'll drop points to one of the other guys again.

His formation is

DR DC DC DL
--
MR MC ML
AMC
ST ST

My team is very versatile and can play pretty much any way I need. What would be the best way to engineer a 1-0 win erring on the side of a draw instead going out and winning it?

I was thinking

DC DC DC
DMR DMC DML
MC MC MC
--
ST

Or

DR DC DC DL
DMC DMC
MC MC MC
--
ST

Or

DR DC DC DL
DMR DMC DML
MC MC
--
ST

I have plenty of solid DC/DL/DR and a very good DMC, but my second DMC is slow and a 4 star. I think two DMC formation is the bet but is the weakest for my players a little bit. The best formation 'player wise' would be the first one but it wouldn't be by more than a Q or 2 at most.

For orders, hard defending, long passes, force counter attack, normal tackling (don't want to give his amazing free kick takers too many shots, thinking about even using easy tackling) no offsides. For focus passing I guess I say mix, My DMR and DML are probably my best players on my team (fast, great crossing ability, great dribblers) but I don't know if I want to fight the flanks against his formation. Should I consider short passes to increase possession, basically conceding I won't score a goal?

Also, I feel like I should do low pressure, right?

Thanks to whomever read this whole thing.

Hey! I would go 4-5-1 v style Up arrow on DL and DR and Down arrow on DMC. IF the opp is stronger go defensive, CA, Long passes through the flanks. Based on experience i stay away from Hard defense and hard attacking. Use the Bonuses instead.

I agree with tgog79! I use the same formation in an league game and won 3:1 away. My suggestion: Go defensive!!

4-5-1V defending and make you sure you have max bonus. Let us know how it goes

If I go with 4-5-1 V, I'd rather play 4-1-4-1 counter attacking formation. I've had success with that in the past against stronger teams but that's the formation he scored the off screen goal against

If you just want strong defense, I like your first one with a slight modification. 3dc-3dml/c/r-2mc-1amc-1st. Defensive/counter/short passing/low press. I'm leaning towards focus through middle. I've used it many times in difficult cup matches.

3n-3w-2n-1-1 as motrin said, or 5-2n-2w-1. That's my favourite. You may even go extreme and remove the ST for a DMC. Hard defending.
I always used 4-5-1V, since it goes along well with ANY tactic which is not attacking. You may put down arrows on DMC and the MCs, play hard defending and pass mixed and short — when you have the ball, the game is the safest even if you have a 9* defence.
It's hard to win like this, but easy to lose otherwise.

Hey guys, and how would your Formation look like without having a dmr/l?

The I would use the second formation
4-2 (both DMC)-3-0-1 or I might make one of the MC an AMC