PES 2021 Beginners Tips

Having a game-plan prior to dribbling the ball across the field can really help your chances for a goal in PES 2021.

Although the game has a pretty steep learning curve, you’ll find that by mastering the game’s different techniques, you will be able to run circles around most players who haven’t been keeping up.

If you’ve played PES 2020, then you shouldn’t have much problem with 2021 considering it’s simply a seasonal update.

Outskill your Opponents

Unlike FIFA, the game doesn’t have you on your toes and isn’t as fast-paced as you’d expect it to be. Due to that very idea, make sure that you put thought and skill into every move you make on the field.

Try to dribble the ball away from your opponent in the opposite direction as they approach you. Take it away from them, and create a space to go past them and move forward.

It’s going to take some time to become natural with the movement of your characters, but with practice, you’ll be able to out-maneuver most of the skilled opponents on the field.

 

Play in accordance with your Attributes

Your player’s statistics give you a rough idea regarding how you should approach the field with him. The attributes help you to create a game plan.

Having high dribbling or passing stats will allow you to create a great build-up, which will eventually put some pressure on the enemy team. Understand your character, and play out the game accordingly.

Conserve your Sprint

Sprinting is important, and using it at the wrong moments can really mess up your momentum. If you end up tired before you make your big play, you’ll end up losing a great opportunity that may have resulted in a great goal.

Thus, in PES, we try to avoid sprinting aimlessly. Use it when you think it’ll be effective.

Pressing the Sprint button when it’s not necessary will result in disastrous outcomes for your team, and allow your enemy to take control of the ball easily.

 

Play Defensive

Trying to hope for your enemy to make mistakes isn’t a viable strategy in any game. Knowing your own strengths and playing by them is guaranteed to work. Your enemy may be weak, but a head-on attack with no plan can be stopped pretty easily.

Knowing when to hold the line, and going all out can be the difference in winning a game in PES 2021.

Set your team up with ‘All out Defense’ or ‘Frontline Pressure’ tactics to put the opposing team under some heat. This will ensure one of two things. You end up defending an enemy push, or even better, they make an error for you to exploit.

Work with the Flow

Head through the field in a linear flow. Hoarding the ball to one player will result in failure. Make sure to carefully pass the balls to your allies whenever you can.

This will create a confusion amongst the enemies, and they won’t be able to converge on you as effectively as they should.

 

Know your player stats

(Image credit: Konami)

Before every match, spend time looking at your player’s statistics. In FIFA the majority of players focus on pace; PES’ attributes are more nuanced and so really can help you shape a deep and detailed game plan. High dribbling and passing stats naturally mesh well with PES’s traditional focus on calm build-up play, but the long ball tactic really pays off this year, making powerhouses such as Robert Lewandowski just as deadly as in real life. Just don’t expect Andy Carroll to quite match the big Pole’s 2019-20 feat of 55 goals in 47 games.

Work with the clock

With your team in the lead, it’s important to play more conservative when in possession. It may be boring for the computer-generated fans to watch, but passing back and forth between your team-mates wastes time, and in online matches can often draw fouls from a frustrated opponent. If you are not in a position to do this – for instance, if the other team is deploying ‘frontline pressure’ – control the ball close to the touch or goal line in order to force a throw in or corner kick in your favour. Play cleanly as well so that there is less injury time added onto each half, thus reducing how many opportunities the opponent has to score against you.

 

Defend with patience

(Image credit: Konami)

It can be tempting to mow down the opposition with a sliding tackle, or run at them in the hope they lose control. The problem with this approach is that it’s often costly, allowing unnecessary space to open up and get your players booked. Play with patience, hold your line, and wait for them to come to you. Setting your team up with ‘all out defence’ or ‘frontline pressure’ tactics both help with this aim. It can be daunting as Cristiano Ronaldo comes charging at your back four, but the more players you have primed to force an error, the more chance you block his shot or make a tackle.

 

Don’t force your attacks

A classic Liverpool FC mantra was 'pass and move,' and that works well when it comes to your approach attacking the opposition. Carefully passed balls and getting into space is vital when breaking through their defensive lines, and utilising this with calmness can provide some fantastic opportunities. Counter attacks are effective, but they don't work every time. Find a strategy, and build the play. Never rush it.