Looking for some tactics against 4-4-2 and 4-3w-1-2

Hello there managers,

Luckily for me, i was googling counter-tactics for top eleven and got into this forum, only to realize hours later that the sticky post doesn't really work anymore (since some updated posts assume).

So here i am making my first post.

I am a lvl 2 manager that i am playing what i understand to be 4-5-1v (2 dc, 2dml-dmr, 1dmc, 2mc wide, 2 wingers and 1 st).Currently i was matched up against teams of same quality as mine (~70%) and was doing pretty good. I usually go down both flanks when facing a weaker team, but i change that a lot of times based on the weakness of my opponent. My players are mostly 4* with some exceptions being 3,5* and my gk being 5,9*. My worst mistake has probably been the extra ability i tried going on my ST (one on one) since he hasnt since then gained anything else than that ability and hes now stacked at ~3,75%.
I have watched all my games so far this season and i almost never see my opponents do the same. So right now i have two questions:

1) I play at the semis of the cup against a team with quality of 93%. Almost all the players are 5* with some being close to 6*. He plays 4-4-2 although the game says he goes with 2-2-2-2-2. Though tbh i think that his backs are kinda being dml-dmr and that his ml-mr are as forwarded as possible.2 mcs 2sts all wide. I consider going full defensive against this team probably with 3 dcs, 2 dml-r, 2 dmcs, ml +mr and maybe amc or st. What u guys think that can give me the upper hand and maybe the way to the final against this team? Is it even possible?

2) I also have a hard match coming soon in my league against someone that plays with 2 dc, dr-dl, 1 mc in the mid,mr+ml, amc, 2 st. Although i won 3-2 in the first round it was a close call and i did so many changes in tactics during the match i barely remember them. Any tips here as well?

Thanks in advance fellow managers!