Reviews

So, I had the luck to pack Valencia as an untradeable object in a pack I got from the Golden Upgrade Challenge. With a value of 40k, he is one of the more expensive RBs and I decided to use him in my first squad. Therefore, I sold my old team and build a new one around him as his stats really impressed me.

Pace:

87 pace combined with 85 physics make Valencia absolutely amazing. He is really rapid, though not that fast as Kyle Walker, but with his PHY stats (85 strength) he doesn't let any defender past him. Also the 87 pace makes him catch attackers that would have been gone with slower fullbacks. I didn't even use Anchor or Shadow to further boost this stat as it is not really needed thanks to his physical stats.

Attacking (Passing, Dribbling):

First of all, the formation I used was a 4-3-3 (4) with Mkhtaryan and Herrera infront of him and Rüdiger besides him in the CB. I have to state that I think that this formation or at least any formation with wingers suits him very well or can maybe be even the best option for him. And I'll tell you why. With a winger infront of him you can easily do a one-two and get behind the back for on the wings in order to cross it into the middle. With a crossing rating of 85 he is one of the best Crossers in his position. I even used the Chemistry Style Backbone on him, which made him have 95! crossing. His passing is decent as well (especially with Backbone) and he does not make mistakes. 77 Short Passing is about right for a RB. I honestly prefer fullbacks that have a higher passing as my playing style concentrates on keeping possession and passing often. This is why I decided to boost his passing stats even more and I can say that it was worth it.

With respect to shooting i can barely say anything as I did not shoot with him at all. However, I think there are worse options for an RB if you want him to score goals.

Of course his 1* Weak Foot is clearly a con. However, with him being a RB it is not that fatal as he doesn't get to use his weak foot quite often. When you run down the wing, you can easily cross it into the middle with his strong foot and it is mostly accurate. I would suggest a taller striker, who is capable of winning headers. This way it is easy to score a lot of goals. I myself used Jesus IF, who was superb but not big enough to score a lot of headers. Nevertheless, with a bit of training you can improve your crossing ability and play to ball to the right spot and you will even score some goals with smaller players.

Also, his dribbling is great for a RB! He has 86 reactions which is a clear con and almost every stat above 80 and you can clearly see that in game. His dribbling is more like a CM than a RB and I think that is one of the bigger advantages of him over Kyle Walker as well as his crossing ability.

Defending:

He has 78 Defending which is quite good for a RB as well. Interceptions as well as standing tackles both are above 80 and I think that these are the most important defensive stats of that category. Further, he is 180cm (5'10'') of height which is a pro as well. He wins most headers against the wingers even when crosses come in. Especially this FIFA is very important and he really did not struggle to win the headers. But also his marking and sliding tackle stats are good enough. I would suggest to use any Chemistry Style that improves his defensive stats and I promise you, there is no way getting past him. Which leads us to the next point...

Physics:

One Word: Pure Class. He is an absolute beast as I already said in the title. With 85 PHY overall you will already have noticed that he is really a monster. He pushes every attacker away, especially those that are really weak don't stand a chance. 85 Strength (95 if you use Backbone on him) make him insuperable and his stamina (90) is insane. He can easily run 120 minutes and won't even breathe heavily. This is one of the big advantages of Valencia as he won't get slower late in the game. Rather, he gets better when you consider that wingers loose their stamina.

Conclusion:

I totally recommend you to buy Antonio Valencia. Even though 40k seems to be a bit expensive for a RB (still cheaper than Walker) he is totally worth the money. Of course you could argue that there are several good RBs that do not cost that much, but you haven't used Valencia so far then. I haven't used any better fullback yet (Carvajal, Juanfran, Semedo, Alaba, Filipe Luis) and I probably never will for this amount of money until the TOTS will launch. Further, with the high number of good United players, Valencia can be linked quite easily in hybrids. I would say that the combination of 87 Pace, 85 PHY and 78 DEF make him a perfect defender. His dribbling and crossing abilities are also a huge con which give you more attacking options. The only con I see is his 1* weak foot. But with respect to his position you can be certain that it does not have an impact on the game.

Antonio Valencia is definitely the best RB on this game. Surpassing the likes of Florenzi and Walker. He sits right now at around 30k. I was lucky enough to pack him as an untradeable and ive been using him ever since and I'm very happy with his gameplay.

PACE

Valencias Pace sits at 87 which is pretty good for a fullback. He can sprint past many opposing full backs and midfielders with ease. I use a shadow chem style which helps boost his pace but I mainly use the shadow chem style because of his lower rated defending.

SHOOTING

For a fullback Valencia has admirable shooting stats. 85 shot power and 75 positioning are the note worthy stats here. Never be afraid to pop a shot in from valencia because he has great shot power. However if you are in a position on the side of the box i reccomend you cross it in instead.

PASSING

Valencia is one of the best crossers in the game. 85 crossing is elite for a fullback. His short passing sits at 77 which is decent as well. If there are people in the box to header like Lukaku or Ibrahimovic. (A target man). he will hit them 9/10. He doesnt have the best curve though so i wouldnt reccomend early crosses.

DRIBBlING

In my opinion one of the most important stats for a full back. His 81 Ball Control and 83 Balance help him play well on the ball. He is able to dribble past most players with ease. One downside to his dribbling is his agility sitting at 75 which isn't bad but it isn't great so he's not going to be able to get around players very quickly but he does it pretty well.

DEFENDING

His defending sits at 78 which isn't too bad. Defending isn't the most crucial stat for fullbacks but its still relatively important. His 83 Stand Tackles and 80 interceptions are his good stats on the card. his slide tackles are also ok at 77. A negative/positive is that because of his high attacking work rate he tends to run out to stop passes leaving gaps behind him but he intercepts passes down the right hand side most of the time.

PHYSICAL

Probably the best part of his game and why Valencia is such a beast. He has 84 Physicality. 85 Strength and 83 Aggression are brilliant stats. He can easily out muscle all wingers in the game and his 90 stamina means he can run up the wing and track back down for the whole 90 and 120 if needed.

Overall Valencia is a very good fullback. I think his IF is a bit to expensive so i would stick with his regular card because it is better value for money. Valencias quick pace, brute strength and crossing ability make him an outstanding full back. Both Defensively and offensively.

what a RB. this card is super good. He is the best guy i used (i used the likes of: walker , SIF Vrsjaliko , and IF aurier ,) he is the beast the most thing i like about him is his acceleration believe me guys he might have the best accleration in the game.

Also hi physical is super amazing for a RB.

and dont care for his weak foot because you wont use it much. With his weak foot i scored a goal in the weekend league with it. And there is a proof : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkZosRXBepM

Valencia is the best RB in FIFA this year. He has everything you need from a fullback - pace, strength, defending and physical. He is not the tallest, but his strength and pace makes up for it. He can take the ball from every player on this game. If you want to have a class RB that doesn't need an upgrade- go for him, you won't be disappointed. Use anchor on him to boost his pace and jumping. If you want a cheap Valencia go buy Aurier, he is amazing this year too. But my advise is to not buy Walker - he is not that good this year!!!!