Help against this formation

[HeavensAAA]

Thanks for the additional info and images there.

Firstly, your opponent must be at least quite good as his 5 subs cover nearly all the possible positions, and also can turn into aggressive attacking 3-1-+6 attackers when needed or go ultra-defensive like 5-2-2-1 as well.

The only exception and downside of his squad and gameplay is he does not like/know how to play with formations with wide midfielders in somehow not even having a MR, so it is the automatically the most logical choice to play a very wide and up-arrow ML, which you have just wisely bought, to exploit the space he couldn’t cover properly and overloading that flank by at least 3v2, and hence that AMC should also play near to DR region (but not close to DR the player to gain territorial advantage) to make it 4v2.

Orders, for start of match, like the following is my suggestion:


10% disadvantage and need to win by 3 net goals mean you shouldn’t concede when possible, so bonus goes to defensive at start. No need to go long balls because keeping possession to create chances via overloading the DR area is the main strategy, with mixed providing a balance. Left-flank is default here. Counter on as number-wise defensively it is enough and circumstances kind of forced to take that chance (if leading by aggregate, then counter should turn to off to control possession).

Start with low pressing and zonal to maintain formation and preserve conditions - switch to man-to-man at half-time. If still chasing 2 goals by 60th minute, sub out worse-performing DC and sub in DMC to default position, and push up MC to as most forward position to support the focal attacking point then.
3 goals in 90 mins, so 30-35 min is decision time after watching which player is missing chances. No goal yet then may need to switch from defensive to normal.
Bonus should switch to attacking if 1 goal per 30 mins is not achieved yet by no later than half-time.
If AML & ML are both missing easy chances till half-time then should consider overloading DMC area with AML, AMC & AMR aligned horizontally with AMC in default position instead.
60-min mark still not scoring then should change to hard attacking and high pressing (these 2 should be used together to max effect - conditions saved for 60 mins for this). Either via flanks with AML+C+R (positioned wide) or via middle (all close to middle at region). Sub out DC to play no more than 3 defenders (DMC used then push close to MC region).

Wish you all the best of luck for the 2nd leg!

And hopefully you will have a lot more luck than I did in my cup final today when the very first action of the roll of dice was the worst double-whammy Red-card on DC plus PK conceded in favour of my opponent with my GK conceding the very first goal of this season. Thankfully my front-2 did their best to overturn it but system is really, really determined to try its best to stop my unbeaten run since start of career.